


Kill Gil

by APHTrashbin (verfens)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/M, Superhero!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-03
Updated: 2014-01-30
Packaged: 2017-12-28 06:41:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/988945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verfens/pseuds/APHTrashbin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gilbert is a small town superhero.  Too bad the love of his life is the girlfriend of the man who wants to kill him, he’s the single income for his four year old brother, and his date just wants to see him dead. (OLD VERSION OF PLEASE DON'T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Part 1: Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

XXXX

“Fuckin’ H Christ.” Gilbert cursed as his blind date turned into an ice monster, and threw him into a wall. He grunted at the impact, and threw himself out of the way as she tossed a chunk of ice at him. “First dates and me just never seem to go together. 

The other diners were rushing out of the scene, screaming now as they left the typical cheesy Italian restaurant. He was putting on his mask in a heartbeat, rushing to his feet as the monster that had been a pretty girl known as Natalia Arlovskaya threw a chunk of ice meant for his head towards him again, and he was on his feet, jumping aside as he caught his breath. 

“You look a lot uglier like this.” He said, brow furrowing. “Damn.” The monster shrieked, and charged him, and he was ready as he caught her hands in his own, using his super strength to catch her, though his feet tore up the bad tiling. He changed his grip on the floor, bent down a little, and threw her over his shoulder, into the wall he had been thrown against himself. That had hurt- a lot. 

She grunted in pain, and he hopped back fast, avoiding the swing of her crystalized arm. He was caught by the feet though, and grunted as he hit the ground and had the wind knocked out of him. He rolled over as her fist came down on the spot where he lay. “I’m getting too old for this stuff.” He complained as she charged him again, and this time he just tripped her, causing her to topple over and shatter, before she reformed into her human self, frosty blue eyes absolutely furious with him. “Sorry princess.” He grinned, and snapped his fingers to get a spark, making a fireball to use against her, getting ready to go the offensive. 

However, by this point, the police were there, and shots rang out, getting Gilbert in the shoulder. The monster shrieked, evidently shot as well. “This isn’t my day man.” He complained, looking to the monster. “Let’s finish this later.” He told her as they prepared to fire the flamethrowers to melt her. She jumped out the side of the building, and he took off after her, running as they shot at him. 

“I’m the good guy!” He cried back at them, shaking his head as he felt woozy. God that hurt. He took out his utilities, and used his climbing equipment to jump over an alley wall, and once he cleared that, he was in the clear. “God.” He had to stop and catch his breath. He had two bullet holes in him, one in his shoulder, the other in his abdomen. Fuckin A.

XXXX

He collapsed just outside his favorite haunt- a haunt that had given him wounds similar to the ones he had now. But he found he could never stray too far from it. He grunted, and plopped down behind a tree, taking out tweezers and pulling the bullet out of his abdomen. 

“Fuckin.” He cursed, toes curling in his shoes as he struggled to stay quiet. He bit his lip, and threw the bullet to the side, and breathed hard as he started to bandage it. The one in his shoulder could wait until later. He drew blood from his lip them, and cursed again. His mask was a pain to wash. It might shrink! Which would suck dicks because it was already pretty tight. He bandaged it up, using some tape to ensure the bandages stay stuck to him. He got up, and started running back to his home, unaware someone close by was watching him.

XXXX

Gilbert managed to stumble back to his home, groaning as he made it through the front door. Ludwig had been dropped off from aftercare, and was going over to him as he put his tiny hands around Gilbert’s legs. 

“Took you forever!” He cried, taking his tiny fists and pounding them against Gilbert’s legs. “For-ev-er!” And Gilbert had to chuckle weakly. 

“Sorry little man, my date went badly.” He said, kissing Ludwig’s forehead as he picked him up. “Sorry Lutz, that took much longer than it was supposed to.” He apologized again, and cradled him. “Let’s get you some dinner.” He took the potato soup off the crock pot, and got out bowls. “You should have called Mrs. Marsh. She would have gotten you dinner.” 

“I didn’t wanna.” He whined from Gilbert’s arms, hanging onto him. “You promised to be home by eight. Sorry about your date though.”

“Don’t worry. She was a real frosty bitch.” He joked, and set him down at the table, putting a bowl in front of him. “Dinner, and then straight to bed, mister. It’s already ten, and you’re going to be so cranky in the morning.” This caused Ludwig to make a general noise of unhappiness. 

“What about desserttt…” He whined, and Gilbert laughed. 

“I’ll make you a pie in the morning, how about that?” And he quickly changed his tune. 

“Okay!” He squeaked, messily taking his spoon to slurp down the creamy soup. His brother was quite the cutie. He laughed softly, and left to go to the bathroom. 

“Be right back.” He called to him, going to bandage his wounds properly. It looked like the one in his abdomen hadn’t hit anything serious, and they would patrol the hospitals as they always did for him to show up. But he wasn’t stupid, Roderich would never get the pleasure of seeing him in jail, or given the death penalty. 

Now, Roderich had always assumed that he was the menace that was the “vigilante”. He preferred to be called the white knight though, and his few followers online always thought of him as that. 

Roderich was also his cousin, and the man who had stolen the love of his life. 

Bonus was, he was never able to prove he was the White Knight, and looked like a fool in front of Elizaveta when he went on a rampage to try and “Prove” his guilt as an armed and unregistered Super. But to most, he was just a common idiot with a narcissism problem. 

He wrapped himself in bandages, grumbling as he felt his skin start itching as it sewed itself together. There would be scars there. Just another couple to add to the dozens  
already littering his skin. 

He put his shirt back on, and went out to his brother, who had finished eating, and now was sitting patiently, waiting for him. “Now we get you to bed, squirt.”  
“Don’t call me that! One day I’m going to be big! Bigger than you!” He said, confidently.

“Really now? Well, I best enjoy being bigger while I still can.” He noogied him, and Ludwig cried with laughter, squirming in his arms. “Silly goose.” He said in German, and walked up the stairs with his brother in his arms. 

“Night, big brother.” He said, sleepily. Gilbert tucked him in once he was in Lutz’s room, and then turned off the lights, going downstairs to get into full costume. He still had to deal with Natalia. 

XXXX

“So you came back.” Natalia said, her blue eyes slits. “I didn’t know my bad date was the White Knight. How interesting.”

“It’s not like my breath smelled like garlic. You had awful breath.” Gilbert joked, watching her from behind his mask. 

“I however, am not interested in fighting my own kind. Unregistered Supers I can respect.” She bowed her head. “I mistook you for someone else. Someone registered and a blood traitor. I heard he was in this area. German sounding. Stuck up.”

“Sorry, chick, but I can’t just let you loose on the city. You nearly blew my cover. And you’re definitely not good. I don’t like the sound of this guy either, but I can’t let you go.”

“Very well then, Gilbert Beilschmidt.” She said, with an air of finality. “Let us do battle.” He took out his sword, and she readied herself by transforming into her icy self once more. 

Gilbert adjusted his grip a little, and swung at her, as she jumped back and did a back flip. Gripping onto the fire escape of the building they were hiding in the alley of, she threw icicles down at him, making him use his cloak to shield himself. 

“You can do better than that.” He jeered, and jumped up the sides of the building, grunting lowly as he did so. She shrieked at him, and tossed another icicle at him, and he had to dangle from someone’s laundry. “Or maybe you’re doing just fine.”

She took advantage of his prone state, and out of ice fashioned a sword, to cut the line and make him drop down three stories. He could heal, but not from a fall like that. He jumped, and fell onto the fire escape just below hers. This put him at her mercy, and he tossed himself out of the way as a chunk of ice fell on top of where he had been laying two seconds before. 

“Jesus.” He cursed, rubbing his hair. “You fight dirty.” He jumped again, this time up to the floor above his, to meet her, and sliced at her with his sword, which he had been heating up to chop through her ice. She shrieked in pain, and he smirked in triumph. “There we go.” He jumped onto the escape with her, and pointed his sword at the bleeding woman. “It’s over.” He said, with an air of finality. She charged at him, and he sliced her in half. She then toppled over, breathing hard for a few seconds, before she died. Blood dripped down the fire escape, and Gilbert felt bad. 

“I’m sorry.” He told her corpse, and left in a rush, leaving the women who lived on that floor to find a dead unregistered Super, who also had a criminal record.

XXXX

That night, he sat in the tree outside of her home. Where she lived with him.

He watched with envy, with spite, but most importantly, with love. Undoubtedly, her boyfriend had been woken up at the finding of the dead Natalia Arlovskaya, and she was  
alone, sitting at the kitchen table, staring at her coffee mug. He sighed in longing. 

That was before the tree branch he was sitting on broke, and he fell on his ass.

She looked up suddenly, obviously frightened by the noise. 

“Oh shit.” He grumbled, frowning as he struggled to stand. She grabbed her rifle, and came outside, pointing it at him immediately. 

“Stay where you are!” She called at him, painting a pretty threatening picture as he grimaced behind his mask. She ran outside with her gun.

“Look, Elizaveta,” He began, accidentally using her name. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“How the holy fuck do you know my name?” She said, her voice getting higher pitched as the click-click of the gun was audible to Gilbert. Fuck.

“Fuck.” He repeated his inner thoughts. “I should not have said that.”

“How do you know my name?” She asked again, aiming directly for his heart as it beat hard against his chest. Fuck shit damn.

“Uh, I…” He coughed, feeling himself blush. “I make a point to know the names of the citizens I stand for.”

“Holy shit.” She was in disbelief. “You’re the White Knight. You’re here, in my petunias. Not with the girl they found. Holy shit.”

“Yes, yes, I know, holy shit indeed.” He grumbled. “Look, lady, I got a kid at home. I gotta run.” He stood up in her petunia patch, and the gun was immediately retrained on him.

“You aren’t going anywhere, punk.” She growled, and got closer to him. “Roderich’s been on your ass for years. And I’ve finally got you.”

“Can’t I catch a damn break?” He muttered to himself, shaking his head as he put his hands up. “Come on, I have a cute little kid, at home, in bed. Can’t I just leave?”  
“You are a dangerous, unregistered Super.” She responded. 

“Registering yourself is submitting yourself to mind control. Making you lose your powers that you were born with.”

“It takes the threat out of you.” She replied. “You are dangerous. A threat to society.”

“God, do you even hear yourself? You sound like Roderich, always obsessing over registering Supers, when he is one himself. What a blood traitor. And I killed the woman who wanted him dead.”

This surprised her. “Roderich is a super?” 

“Yes, he’s quite the virtuoso, haven’t you noticed. His music used to be able to enchant people. In return for turning in Supers, he got to keep his powers.” Otherwise she would remember. 

“Y-You’re lying.” She said, though her hand shook a little. “Roderich isn’t a freak.”

“Is that what you really think of him, or is it drivel he spouts into your ears? Either way, he wouldn’t have been able to sing his way out of this one, so you should be thanking me, not that his miserable life deserves it.”

Gilbert saw that her hands fumbled on the gun, and he took the opportunity to jump into the tree, and ran out on her-

From the woman who used to be his partner in protecting the peace.

XXXX

When he got home at four in the morning, he started making a boysenberry pie. He had promised his little brother after all. It didn’t matter that he was exhausted. His brother was the most important thing in his life; Other than his ex-partner, ex-lover, Elizaveta. 

But she was lost to him. The cold hatred in her eyes the last time they had encountered one another had been proof enough of that. 

She had been the wondrous Iron Maiden, the source of his super strength. 

Gilbert was a copycat. He was allowed to steal powers from other Supers, though they were as powerful as the original powers themselves. But he would never use most of his collection. Most of the powers he had learned from villainous scum, who used their powers for evil. There were cases where the powers were damn useful, however- For example, Arthur Kirkland’s pyrokinesis in the case of Natalia Arlovskaya. 

As he baked, his resolve was strengthened. He wouldn’t kill his cousin, he would let him have the wonderful woman known as Erzébet. He would let him win. So long as he continued to fight crime in her name, not all was lost. He would fight Supers who gave their whole race a bad name, and humans who were scum of the earth.  
He wasn’t going to try and win her back. By six in the morning, a wonderful pie was ready to go for his little brother. 

The little bundle of love that had appeared on his doorstep one morning, an unwanted Super child in the time where Supers were killed- it had been a curse, it had been a blessing, Gilbert didn’t know what to do about it. 

After he lost Elizaveta, Ludwig had given him a reason to live. It had been four years since that day. 

XXXX

Four Years ago....

“Do you have anything left to say, Arthur Kirkland?” Gilbert Beilschmidt asked him, as the burned out man looked down.

“I’m so sorry.” He muttered, closing his eyes. Gilbert got it over with quickly, chopping his head off.

The burned down house surrounding them told them a story Gilbert didn’t want to hear. He burned Arthur Kirkland’s body quietly, Elizaveta watching to the side of him. “This is what uncontrolled powers do to the good in society.” An unwanted voice called out, and the two masked figures turned over to where Roderich Edelstein stood, and he caught Elizaveta. Gilbert called out for her, and she told him to run, struggling as she broke the arms of her captor. She could make it out of there just fine. Gilbert took off at a run, listening to his lover that he would never see again, not in the same way she had told him to run.

He heard a sultry voice start singing, and saw the love of his life losing her fight as she gave into Roderich Edelstein. It was that moment he would never forgive his cousin. 

That day four years ago.

The next morning, he had been storked by a young Super mother, clearly wanting her child to be taken in as a non-registered Super. It was a tiny baby, red in the face and screaming its head off. Gilbert read the note left, explaining the mother was going to turn herself in as a Super, but didn’t want her child to live forever in stigma. Gilbert took the child in as his baby brother, naming him Ludwig. 

He would always protect the innocent, even if he had not been able to protect her.

XXXX

The next morning, he saw himself all over the news as his brother grabbed a plate for pie, and served himself. He smiled tiredly. “How’s it taste.”

“Awesome!” He cried out, and started chomping down as Gilbert watched the clearly biased report on how the White Knight attacked and killed a troubled Super. These stories were always the worst. 

“Lutz, turn off the TV.” He said. “I don’t want you listening to this trash.”

“Gil, are you a Super sympathizer?” He asked, worried. “I defended a Super girl the other day and got called that.” Gilbert felt a pang in his chest.

“Don’t speak like that.” He said, stern. “There’s nothing wrong with defending Supers.” Gilbert bent over, looking serious. “Those people are assholes. You can tell them that Super violence only grew after the Registration rules, because Supers can’t control themselves anymore.” He hugged his brother. “More than that, you are a Super. Your mother told me the day she gave you to me.” Ludwig looked a little shocked. 

“I’m a freak?” He asked, voice small.

“You aren’t a freak.” He hugged him tighter. “The fact is, there are more Supers than Humans now days. They want to control us before we control them. You don’t have to tell anyone you’re a Super, Lutz. I love you either way, because I’m a Super too.”

This seemed to comfort Ludwig, and Gilbert kissed his forehead. “Now, I gotta get you off to school.” He said, smiling. “Let’s finish getting ready, okay?”

XXXX

“Is that what you really think of him, or is it drivel he spouts into your ears?” His voice rang in her ears, making her question her entire life. She lay in bed, wide awake as she ran over the appearance of the White Knight in her head. He had been skinny, short, but proud, shoulders back and head up. He was proud even as he completely fell on his ass into her petunias. 

Elizaveta Héderváry didn’t remember her life from before four years ago, and it was starting to bother her now. Roderich was a wonderful pianist, and an even better singer. 

Extraordinary, she would dare say. 

”You could do a little digging on your own.” The voice that she knew was imagined piped up from beside her. The face was fuzzy, but the skin was pale and muscled, naked as he lay in bed beside her. This scene was normal. “It wouldn’t hurt to know. Maybe you can find out who I am.”

“Roderich says that you are a hallucination.”

“Or am I a memory of yours trying to come back? What does he want you to think? He wants you to love him, of course.”

“But I do love him.” She said, halfheartedly. “I do.”

“Then why don’t I have his face?” And the picture was completed. In a heartbeat, the face became clear. It was pale, and handsome, but…. it was undoubtedly the face of the White Knight, and then in that heartbeat, it was masked, and the image of his face was lost. “And why does he insist you do not go looking for people who knew you before?” The problem was, he was making sense now.

“Are you saying that….I’m a registered Super?” She said, tentatively.

“Technically, I’m only your thoughts Elizaveta. Or maybe, you don’t have that ridiculous name at all. It’s very westernized for a woman with such a heavy accent.”

The name Erzébet came to mind. 

She thought it suited her much better than Elizaveta. 

“That sounds more Hungarian to me.” The White Knight was self-satisfied, smirking under his mask. “You could go check the records under Erzébet Héderváry.” 

Elizaveta fiddled with her hands. “Alright. I’ll also look under Roderich. I should check, at least.” She sighed, getting up and out of her nightgown. “Although, if Roderich did make a deal, it probably wouldn’t be in records of registered Supers; that would just be counterproductive for him.”

And the naked man beside her was gone, and she sighed deeply, knowing that she would likely see him again sometime in her dreams.

Had she been in love with the White Knight? But how could she ever find him? And if she did, how could she know that she could trust him?

XXXX

There came a furious knocking at Gilbert’s door, and he groaned. He was just going to have a bad week, wasn’t he? “Coming.” He called out to whoever was knocking, and got up, shuffling to the door.

He was unsurprised when it turned out to be Roderich Edelstein. “Good day, Gilbert.” He sniffed, disdainful. 

“What are you doing at my house?” He asked, grumbling. “Can’t you tell I was sleeping?”

“I am here for your alibi of course. Or, do you not have one this time, White Knight?” Gilbert groaned. 

“Can’t you just give it a rest? I’ve already been tested negative for Super powers, Roddy. I don’t have super strength, I can’t conjure fire, I can’t even heal like he can.” He had never been tested for a copycat gene, though. The thought almost made him snicker. “I have science behind me. And I have an alibi witnesses agree with, I’m betting.”

“Oh, and what’s that?” He bit out, clearly frustrated. 

“I was on a date with Natalia Arlovskaya, and was tossed into a wall. I passed out as the White Knight drew her attention away from the diners. The last thing I saw was him jumping in front of me.”

“How did you know it was him?”

“I watch the news.” Gilbert said it like it should be obvious. And of course it should be obvious then. He had just been told by Roderich the White Knight had been there, as well. Roderich wasn’t going about his investigation very well.

“Can you show me bruises?” The bullet wounds were just scars now, but the big ugly bruise on his back didn’t heal as fast. He turned around, and was clearly bruised over his back and neck. “Hmmph. You should have gone to the hospital.” Roderich said. 

“So you could put me in jail for being injured the same time the White Knight was injured? I would have preferred not to go through that ordeal again. Ludwig was already waiting for me.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, am I free to go now, officer?” Roderich grumbled, and left him in a flurry, grumbling to himself. 

Once he was inside, Gilbert laughed at him. He sighed after a few minutes, shedding a few tears. “That’s funny Roderich. Continue trying to prove that conspiracy theory, I dare you. Let’s see how fast you lose your credibility.” Thanks to the law, Roderich couldn’t approach Ludwig, not after the restraining order Gilbert had put him under after he had slapped a three year old boy for not going along with his conspiracy. 

He got into the bed again, sighing as his head hit the pillow and he passed out, practically. 

XXXX

Waking up was far less fun. He had to be up for Ludwig, to pick him up because he could never make the bus. He moaned, hardly wanting to wake up. He forced himself out of bed, feeling like it had only been minutes since he had laid his head down last. 

He grabbed a bag of chips, and got into his car, driving at exactly the speed limit the whole way. Roderich was following him in his police car. He called the actual police then, saying that he was being tailed by an officer for no legitimate reason, on his way to pick up his brother from school. That got Roderich off his tail pretty damn fast. 

Roderich was only allowed to chase him when Ludwig wasn’t involved. A good thing, to be honest. The boy didn’t need to become involved, not for something like this. 

When he got to the school, he opened the automatic door on his van, and let Ludwig in, grinning. “How was your day, Lutz?” He asked, being happy for his brother’s sake. 

“It was good!” He said, brightly. “That little girl gave me flowers for helping her out yesterday!” 

“See, I told you it was the right thing to do.” He smiled, and closed the automatic door, bringing him home. “There are chips in the back for you, buddy.” And Ludwig frowned at him. 

“You should provide a healthy option sometimes, big brother!” He said, sternly. Gilbert laughed. 

“This is a rare sight. It’s not every day a four year old complains about getting junk food.” He turned his rearview mirror to look at him better. “If it bugs you that much, wait until we get home to eat. You can have an apple or something.”

He was being tailed again. He called the police again, saying Roderich was breaking code, but he found out it wasn’t Roderich tailing him.

Uh oh.


	2. Goodnight Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gilbert is a small town superhero raising his kid brother by himself, the love of his life against him, clueless of the truth. Elizaveta has found out her life was a beautiful lie, and she must find the White Knight to clear her memories up.

Elizaveta Héderváry was feeling her life fall apart. “I’m not surprised. The White Knight was always right in the end, even if he didn’t go through due process.” Her oldest friend sat beside her, newly cleared up and no longer a mystery as to who it was. 

“Shut up.” She said, voice muffled by grief. She was reading her own file in the records. She had been the Iron Maiden, the White Knight’s partner. How could this be true? How could Roderich have lied to her for four years now? That just made it all the worse. He was preparing to propose to her as well. She felt her phone crush in her hand in her anger and grief.

It all made sense now. Why Roderich was obsessed with finding the White Knight, why she broke things on accident, why her memories didn’t make sense, and her dreams finally were put into perspective. 

She had to find someone to talk to about this. She tossed her phone aside, and thought of the one person who would take her side in this matter. The person Roderich persecuted more than anyone- Gilbert Beilschmidt- Loud, obnoxious, foul-mouthed, but a person who would never go to Roderich for anything; also a known Super sympathizer. He would likely understand. 

She put down her file, and didn’t bother looking up Roderich’s. The White Knight had been right. She was a Super, caught and registered, a prize won by Roderich and kept captive, like a bird in a cage. 

That was how the White Knight had known her name. He had been her partner. It was a shock, but it also left more questions for her. Why did he never try to get her? Why did he appear outside last night? Why did he seem hesitant to talk to her?

“You weren’t exactly welcoming.” The specter told her. “Didn’t you call him a punk and threatened to kill him?” 

“Shut it, hoser.” Elizaveta threw him a grimace. “I had no way of knowing.”

She tossed her phone to the side. She would never answer a phone call from him again. “So you’re finally going to try and find out why you can’t remember things? Well, better late than never.” The specter beside her said, and she flashed a menacing glare towards him, making him laugh. “Maybe you are going crazy.”

“Shut it. I’m going to see Gilbert Beilschmidt.” She told it, to satisfy the quiet gaze she recognized as inquisitive. 

“Didn’t you tell him you hated his guts the last time you saw him?” The specter made a grimace. “He’s the only place you can turn to? Can’t you find me?” He asked, wondering. 

“The White Knight has eluded the police for years. What makes you think I can find him?”

“Maybe he’ll find you. I don’t think you should alert anyone to the fact you’ve rediscovered your secret.” Her hallucination had a point. That was before she saw Gilbert laughing in his car; talking to the cute little boy he had been storked with four years ago, around the same time she had been “found” by Roderich.

She had to go after him. She got into her car quickly, and took off after him. “This is a bad idea, Elizaveta.” Her hallucination told her, sitting beside her in the passenger’s seat. 

“What if he has the answers?” 

And the chase was on.

XXXX

“Dammit, I can’t seem to lose them!” He cussed in front of his brother as he hit the gas, taking off at a speeding pace, and not particularly caring as he drove into the metro part of town.

“Gilbert!” Ludwig cried, hanging onto his seatbelt as he was being thrown about as Gilbert took a sharp turn. “What on earth are you doing?”

“Some shit is following us!” He called back, sounding a little panicked. After his close encounter with Natalia the other night, he had been reminded he had to be on high alert at all times, for the sake of his brother and for his own safety. He went up a gear, grumbling as he slammed on the gas again, trying to shake the bitch as he went into one of those fancy neighborhoods with two story houses and horrible winding roads. As he jerked the car around the corner, pushing 60, he almost felt them flip, but it was a mercy when they did not. 

“Brother, I’m scared.” Ludwig was crying, looking absolutely terrified. “Don’t worry little bro, I got this.” He slowed down at the next turn, and tried to look into the windshield of the car behind him, only to see it was tinted. That wasn’t doing it any favors in his book. 

He made a confusing path for the follower, and lost him after spending thirty whole minutes in the neighborhood. His poor van was almost out of gas, and he had to pray as he got it to a station, Ludwig quivering in the back of the truck as Gilbert parked. He went to the back, and opened the doors, before opening his arms for a hug. He kissed his brother’s forehead, and cradled him, rocking him back and forth. “It’s alright now. I lost them.” He said soothingly, rubbing his back. “We’re safe now.”

Ludwig started crying openly then, clinging onto Gilbert. 

After he got Ludwig situated in the back seat again, he drove home especially slow, making people angry, but he didn’t care. He was doing what was right for his little brother. 

XXXX

When he was home, he got Ludwig into the bath, and got to work making bratwurst for dinner, rubbing his temples. That could have killed them both. He was ready to kill the little asshole that had spent that much time freaking them both out. 

That was when he heard a knock on the door. He put the spatzle on to boil, and went to the door. “Roderich, if that’s you, I’m calling the cops on your stupid ass.” He opened the door, and his mouth dropped open. It was a pissed off looking Elizaveta. 

“Oi. I was going after you for thirty whole minutes, and you didn’t even bother to pull over!” She said, frustrated, and Gilbert felt kinda bad now, though he was still mostly pissed. 

“You scared the ever loving shit outta me, princess.” He said, grumbling. “Me and Lutz were both freaked out. I thought it was one of Roddy’s cronies.”

“I told you not to call him that!” She snapped, before looking a bit put out. “A-anyway, I was here to ask a favor from you, but since it’s obvious you aren’t going to help, I’ll-” He cut her off, interested. 

“A favor? From me?” He raised an eyebrow. “Are you smoking dope?”

Her face turned bright red. “I’m trying to be serious here, Beilschmidt! If you won’t help me, I’ll just have to find some other bastard that doesn’t like Roderich.”

“No, no, I’ll help you.” He said, quietly. “But why me?”

“You hate Roderich more than life itself.” She said, plainly. “I need to hide something from him. Where better to turn than a person who hates him?”

This further intrigued him. “Alright. I’m listening.”

Her voice was a whisper. 

“I think…. I think I might be a Super.” 

“I think we need to talk.” His voice was grim, face set in a frown. 

XXXX

“So you’re saying that I am a Super. Well, I already knew that, since I read my own record.”

“You put yourself in a grave amount of danger Elizaveta, what if Roderich had seen you?” He asked, serious, red eyes staring straight into hers green ones. “And yes. You are a Super. A registered Super.”

She put her head into her hands. “Oh god, I had no idea… I already knew that, but….to hear someone tell me I’m a freak-”

“You aren’t a freak.” Gilbert corrected her immediately. “You’re just different from humans.” 

“Besides that, we have to think, what we can do to keep you safe now.” His resolve had gone right out the window. He wasn’t going to introduce himself to her as the White Knight, which was because he was the most wanted criminal in the city. 

“Roderich buckles down pretty hard on Supers. If he catches you, you’ll forget everything all over again. It took you four years to get curious enough to investigate for yourself.  
Imagine how much harder it would be if you got convinced by him to never look into the records.” He grumbled, brow furrowing. 

“I-I didn’t know…” She looked scared now. “Do you think he could…hurt me?”

“If you think you’re exempt from the strict Super laws, then you’re kidding yourself.” He said, plainly. “That should be worry number 3 though. First worry is how you’re going to pretend that you’re still under his thumb.”

“I have to go back to him?” She sounded outraged. 

“Yes, unless you want to raise alarm.” He was calm. He knew what to do. “In a few weeks, find things that bother you about him. Then, explain all these things to him, and break up. That’s the best way to go about it.” He finished, looking up at her expectantly. 

“I’m not happy about it.” She grumbled. “But it’s better than what I have right now. Thank you for your help, stupid.” She left, waving. “Don’t think this means I like you. I have my sights set on a different person entirely.”

And that was what hurt the most.

Since that person was probably, also him.

XXXX

“Was he any help?” Her memory asked her, in full costume now as she drove home. 

“I don’t know.” She sighed. “His point is valid, but I hate his guts.” 

Her grip on the wheel tightened. “He seemed genuinely concerned about me, though.” But the White Knight wasn’t Gilbert, though Roderich had always said he was. That was the terrifying thing. She didn’t know what to think anymore. 

She drove home quietly after that, the specter of the White Knight disappearing as she pondered on Gilbert’s words. No, she didn’t think she was exempt, but…after four years, would Roderich treat her like any other Super if she revealed she remembered?

Gilbert had been convinced that he would. But he also hated Roderich. 

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. She thought, trying to rid herself of those poisonous thoughts. Gilbert knew what he was talking about, had been exposed to Roderich’s true self more than she had. And Roderich was certainly her enemy now. Now that she knew he had hidden the truth from her for four years, her thoughts of him were far less fond. 

She went over the conversation with the White Knight again. He had shaken his head at something, before trying to appeal to her humanity by saying he had a kid at home.

A child. Her mouth went dry as her mind raced with possibilities. 

There had been a time when the White Knight’s activity had gone down. 

“Are you thinking that you might just be a mother?” Her memory of the White Knight asked her, sitting beside her, naked in the front seat, as she sat in her own garage. 

Elizaveta fiddled with her hands. “I won’t think that until I have better evidence. But….it gives me just another reason to fight Roderich.”

The specter nodded, and she got out of the car, and pat down her skirt as she went inside, faking a smile as she expected Roderich to be waiting at the front door, but was surprised when he wasn’t.

Instead, a trail of rose petals lead her into the kitchen. Had this been two days before, she would be swooning right about now, but now, after all that has occurred, she was wary of this. She walked into the kitchen, and smiled as she saw Roderich waiting for her, looking a tad nervous.

“Elizaveta, I know that we’ve been dating for three and a half years now, and I’d like to take the next step.” He got down onto one knee, and Elizaveta’s mouth felt dry as a bone.  
“Will you give me the honor of marrying me?”

“No.” Her voice resounded in the silent kitchen, and he looked shocked. 

“No?” He asked, confused. “But I thought you loved me.”

“Just because I date you, doesn’t mean I’ll marry you.” Elizaveta said, firmly. 

“Why on earth is that?”

“Y-You’re stuffy, arrogant, and always assume I’m on your side, even when I’m not.” To be honest, she was stealing a little bit of her argument from Gilbert. But that would be alright, it would just be another ego boost for him. “And I don’t think I’m ready to marry.”

She felt a little guilty for saying all these things, as Roderich looked genuinely hurt about her words. “I won’t force you,” He mumbled, putting away the ring. “And I’ll give you time to think about it. But I love you Elizaveta, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

But Elizaveta was quietly thinking to herself, you love the me you created from a previous person. Not the real me. 

The White Knight was standing where Roderich had been two seconds before, and lifted his mask up to smile at her. “Well done, Erzébet.” 

God, she hoped she was doing the right thing. Roderich started cleaning up the rose petals on the floor, and she knelt down to help him.

She had to hurry, because she was going to be going out to patrol, and hopefully would run into a certain someone. Someone who she was going to get, and they would be happy again.

XXXX

That night when Gilbert patrolled, he was mulling over the deep resounding sadness inside of him. While Elizaveta had rediscovered her Super powers, she still hasn't remembered who Gilbert was. That was the most disappointing thing, to be honest. What should he do, what could he do? He could try and bring her home to him, but that could backfire and she would leave him forever.

He wouldn't know what to do if that happened.

He tried not to think about it.

He saw his prey then, a thief stealing from a jewelry shop. He unsheathed his sword, and jumped down into the alleyway to catch him, only to be surprised. Someone jumped in front of him.

"I got this one partner." Elizaveta said cheerfully as she raised her fists up, to fight. She was in sweats, a tank, with her hair in a bun and a ski mask on her face.

Jesus, this was going to be rough.

"What on earth are you doing!?" He hissed, "Leave this to the professionals!"

"I just want to help you." She seemed disappointed in his reaction to her showing up. "Come on, I can do this!” She caught the robber by the arm, and swung him around to face her. Gilbert winced as she punched the guy.

"Hey, watch it! You're going to give him brain damage!" He called out, shaking his head as she looked surprised. He huffed, and took the dazed criminal from her. "You don't know your own strength. You've lost years of experience, and you don't know how to use your powers properly."

"But..." She began, before he raised a hand.

"No buts. It's excellent to see you fighting again, but for goodness sake, take a class or something. They say fighting always comes naturally, but yikes. You are rusty, Iron Maiden." He picked up the criminal in a fireman's lift. "Now you take the jewels, and I'll drop off this fucker at the hospital with a note." And then he would get outta dodge. 

Elizaveta couldn't find out it was him until the right time-if it came.

"Wait for me!" She called back, running as fast as she could. He started walking despite her protests. She caught up quickly. This made him groan internally, shaking his head. 

Couldn't he catch a break? This whole week had been bad luck central.

He didn't want her to fall in love with a fake persona. He wanted her to love him for Gilbert, the true him. That was how they had done it last time, and it had been so amazing to love her like that; as intimate as they were last time.

"Jeez, are you trying to lose me?" She had to speed walk to keep up with him. "I wanted to ask you. Did you and I date before?" He couldn't see her face, but her body language gave away her hopefulness.

"Yes. We did." He said, curtly. "Before you were brainwashed and taught to hate me. Yanno. That kinda hampers a relationship."

"See, about that." She began. "I'm starting to remember things from before, and I wanted to know if you could take off your mask so we can meet face to face." She took off her own, smiling. Gilbert really was tempted. He really was. He loved her, after all. But this could go sour in a heartbeat, he knew.

So he had to wait.

"The Erzébet I loved died four years ago." He said, plainly. "And until I know you are out from Roderich's thumb, l can't reveal myself to you. It could be a trap." He was telling her the truth. This would be dangerous, after all.

She had let her hopes get too high, only to crash now. "I thought we were partners..."

"Note the use of the past tense." He was gruff with her. "That's all that needs to be said."

They had walked in silence for a long time after that. “How can I prove it to you that I’m no longer under Roderich’s control.”

“You can’t. Not to me. I have my own way of watching you, alright? Trust me, I’ll know when it’s safe to trust you.” Gilbert told her flatly, turning his head towards her as he dropped off the criminal. "Here's where we part ways.” 

“What. But….I just got here.” She said, disappointed again. 

“You’re untrained. A danger to yourself and others. Take a class on it, okay? Then maybe I’ll consider it.” He jumped onto the fire escape of the alleyway by the hospital, and again to make it to the roof of the building beside it. Elizaveta watched him right up until he disappeared under the cover of darkness.

XXXX

He stayed out until three, and then decided to go home, knowing his little brother would need him there in the morning, in some kind of decent condition. Gilbert sighed softly, before he realized he was being followed by someone. 

“Who’s there?” He asked, warily. 

“It’s us, dumbass.” A distinctly accented voice called to him, and Francis Bonnefoy stepped out into the light, unmasked. He was a Super that had gone into hiding. Next to him was Antonio, and both were old friends during the Golden Age, the early 2100s. 

“You’ve put on the pounds.” Gilbert said, bluntly, noticing a fair bit of chub on Francis’ belly. 

“Yes, yes, delicacy was never your strong suit.” He said, sounding a bit ticked off. “Still keeping up the old routine, I see.”

“I’m not one to stop fighting.” He grinned, going over to him happily. “What are you two doing here for?”

“For you, amigo,” Antonio said, easily. “You should move over to Europe with us. The situation there is so much better-one by one, they’re finally lifting the laws against Supers, you know, and are helping those whose memories were erased.”

Gilbert was shocked. “How come I didn’t hear about this?” He asked, quietly, concerned about his and Lutz’s safety. 

“American news is keeping it quiet, they don’t want unregistered Supers getting away.” Gilbert nodded, humming. 

“That makes sense.” He said, thoughtfully. “I haven’t seen you guys in years, how about you two come over to my place?” He invited, grinning at them- though they couldn’t see it, they knew he probably was. 

“We’d enjoy that.” Francis said, and they went their separate ways, meeting up at Gilberts home, once he was changed and fit for guests. 

“Why were you guys out at 4 in the morning?” Ludwig asked, crankily after Gilbert had introduced him to his two old friends. 

“I had a hot date.” He lied easily. “And it went on a little too long. Then these idiots found me, and here we are.” He grinned as he picked up his little brother. “Let’s get you back to bed, silly, you still have two whole hours before you need to get up. 

He tucked Ludwig back into bed, and went back out to his old friends. “I dunno if I wanna leave this place. There is an unchecked amount of Supers that are dangerous because they aren’t in control of themselves, and I want to be a part of the change that will take place.”

“Think of your little boy.” Antonio pleaded. “He’s a super, isn’t he? It will be safer if he leaves America’s tattered states and head for the safety of Europe.”  
That…however, was something that was definitely important to him. 

“Where’s Erzébet?” Francis asked, suddenly looking a little curious and worried. 

Gilbert looked down, face sad, and it dawned on both of them what happened. 

“Gilbert, I’m so sorry.” Antonio said, quietly. “She was a wonderful woman.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t come back. If we had, perhaps Erzébet would still be among us.” Francis said, looking grim. 

“That’s yet another reason I can’t leave yet.” He said, voice soft. “I have unfinished business left here.” 

“Gilbert, you know that Supers under the thumb of the city never remember.” Antonio said, sternly.

“But that’s just it.” He mumbled. “She hasn’t remembered, but she knows that her life is a lie, and she’s actually the Iron Maiden.” Gilbert sighed, rubbing his temples. 

“What?” Francis looked surprised and interested. “She knows, how?”

“I said her name.” He grumbled. “I slipped up and revealed how much I know about her, and we got into an argument about Roderich, and she looked in the records of Supers that employers use if they’re hiring someone. She discovered her life was a lie.” He used his hands to then rub the nape of his neck.

“Mi amigo,” Antonio said, brightening up. “That means you can win her over again.”

“I doubt I could.” He looked sheepish. “Elizaveta-what she’s called now- hates my guts.”

“She hated your guts before too.” They said in unison. “You still found your own special way to charm her.”

“The real difficult thing is, she’s infatuated with the White Knight.”

They shared sympathetic looks. The worst thing about being a superhero were the crazy groupies. 

“She’s not that bad, though. Just wants to get back into the swing of things with me, and I don’t want her to love that self, I want her to love me.” Gilbert explained.

“You sound so gay right now,” Francis chuckled, “But I understand the workings of love.”

They chatted for a little while longer, before Francis looked at Antonio, and they nodded. “We’re going back to our hotel room, and will be getting some rest. We’re tired. We’ll stay here until you make a decision.”

“Who looks gay now?” He smirked, and they all laughed again. 

It was good to talk with old friends again.


	3. The Lonely Shephard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Gilbert is debating about Elizaveta's place his world, he must make some crucial decisions. Elizaveta is faced with tough decisions as well, and she may be running out of time.

XXXX

Gilbert was patrolling by himself again. His friends had politely declined from joining him. Not that he minded- he had been patrolling by himself for a few years now, another night more wouldn’t make the White Knight sad. 

He was wandering the rooftops, taking down regular criminals, and he wondered about his future. Was he just going to keep doing this for his life? Would he take up his friends on their offer to leave the city, bring Ludwig to a better place?

What was he doing with his life but using it on ungrateful people, people who would rather see him dead?

Gilbert didn’t know if he wanted to risk Ludwig’s safety on something that might not even happen. 

He sighed, and halfheartedly went on his usual route, thinking the idea over. It was making his head and his heart hurt. At least while he was here, he could keep an eye on 

Elizaveta, make sure she wasn’t doing anything too dumb.

But if he stayed, that law that required annual screenings of children could be passed, and Ludwig would be caught and taken away from him.

That would really be the end of him.

XXXX

When he came back the next morning, Elizaveta was at his doorstep. “Oh shit.” He grumbled. “This is going to take some effort.” He went around the neighborhood on rooftops, jumped into the tree in his yard, and of course, fell right on top of her with a groan of “You got to be fucking shitting me.”

“White Knight!” She gasped, and looked instantly more excited. “I didn’t know you were around here…”

“Uh, yeah,” He said, eloquently. “I patrol around here. It’s why Roderich thinks I’m Gilbert Beilschmidt.”

“That makes sense.” She smiled coyly at him. “But you’re nothing like him. He’s rude and arrogant.” 

He laughed an ugly laughter. “Then you don’t know me at all.” He said, point blank. “Roderich has good reason for assuming we’re one and the same.”

She looked baffled. “What?”

“Anyway, I gotta go.” He said, abruptly. He jumped back up into the tree, and was gone as he jumped away on rooftops.

XXXXX

Gilbert grumbled as he finally made his way inside, after Elizaveta had finally given up on waiting for Gilbert to come home. Sometimes he hated that he hadn’t just admitted his being the White Knight. Other times, it was a blessing. Elizaveta was going to him, Gilbert for help. And when he moved back to Germany, than he would try and bring her with him, convince her to come for Ludwig. He would romance her on one side, and spurn her affections on the other front. 

He knew from his history classes that winning a two front war was nearly impossible, but be damned if he wouldn’t try to do it. And winning her love was certainly going to be a war. He remembered back when they were younger, before being a super was officially declared illegal. They had been children, and Erzebet had been the strongest person in the class. He had been stronger than even Gilbert, and that bugged him. So, the copycat he was, he observed her body movements, and copied them to a T. And he lifted that big rock she was able to move. 

Erzebet had been delighted. He pulled Gilbert to the side, and asked him how on earth he could do what Erzebet had done.

XXXX

Twenty Years Before...

“Well, I’m special.” He boasted. “I can copy people. Kinda like my granddad could.”

Erzebet frowned. “You copied me? You aren’t a strongman?”

“No, but I’m still a super.” His red eyes gleamed mischievously. “I knew that wasn’t a natural power! That rock was wayyyy too heavy!”

He looked afraid then. “Don’t tell anyone!” Erzébet pulled him close. “They think that supers are dangerous and need to be locked up or something!”

“Don’t worry.” Gilbert grinned. “I know the rules! It’s a bond between men!”

XXXX

But in later years, he had discovered, quite on accident, Erzébet turned out to be a girl. That had been quite the shock to several of the men in the class, including a few of the teachers. They had bickered and fought and made each other crazy, but they had been best friends, taking on Roderich, the dork, by themselves. Maybe that was the reason 

Roderich hated him, but it didn’t explain his damn near obsession with Erzébet. Maybe he wanted what Gilbert had- friends, power, and a lovely lady at his side- it all fit into the big picture.

His cousin started showing the first signs of hating supers- even himself and his seemingly useless power.

But while Erzébet was his best friend, Gilbert was still an annoying immature young man, and he was secretly infatuated with her, while she was trying to foolishly become more ‘lady like’ and feminine. And feminine, in her definition, included a boyfriend. 

Of course Gilbert had been up for the job, but his hopes were dashed as she was asked out by Roderich, and she agreed. It broke his heart, really. But he didn’t have many actual complaints other than the small victory over his cousin made Roderich an asshole.

That trait would follow him for the rest of his life. 

Eventually, though, Elizaveta grew sick and tired of his insistence that he was the leader of the relationship, the one with the power to make all the decisions, and they split up.

That was around the time they graduated high school, and Gilbert and the rest of them took on their new jobs in college- many of them becoming part time super heroes. He, 

Francis, and Antonio made up the Dynamic Trio, with the White Knight, the Charmer, and the Toreador. Elizaveta soon took up after them, becoming the Iron Maiden. She had immediately figured out Gilbert’s identity, and they started working together. Their fan clubs had a special on “The Maiden’s Knight.”

It wasn’t long before Gilbert had the balls to ask her out on a date. 

But that was before the incident that had brought all Supers to their knees, and put them into hiding. 

Francis and Antonio moved back to Europe, and he and Elizaveta, who continued to fight even after they were declared illegal people.

But that was years ago now, Gilbert thought as he used his keys to unlock the backdoor. 

It was all over. 

His friends were right- Elizaveta wasn’t Erzébet. She was a silly caricature, and it was time for Gilbert to stop playing himself. It was a Saturday, so Ludwig was in bed. 

He went to his room, and kissed him on the forehead. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, Bruder.” And this he would take to heart. 

He would be moving to Europe with his friends in two weeks. That was enough time to get Ludwig’s school transcripts and stuff like that. 

To hell with love.

XXXX

Gilbert was cooking breakfast when she knocked on his door again. He wondered if he should answer her. It would probably be better. Ludwig looked up in surprise. “Whose there, Gil?”

“Elizaveta, she’s just an old friend, kay?” He rubbed the back of his head, wondering how to explain Elizaveta to him. “She’s…nice. Won’t do any harm to us.” Ever since Ludwig had learned he was a Super, Gilbert had noticed he had been a little on edge about people coming to their front door. 

“Do you like her?” Ludwig wasn’t clueless as to what Gilbert was doing after dark, apart from patrolling. He knew Gilbert was trying to pick up a girl. Gilbert sighed. 

“Yes and no. Lately, she’s been a bit of a bitch to me. But I used to like her a lot. So I’ll do her some favors now and again.” He rubbed the nape of his neck, uncomfortable around the subject. That answer wasn’t entirely true, he knew he still loved her, and he’d try to get her the hell out of dodge. That was the plan, anyway. If she refused, then too bad, she’d be stuck with Roderich.

It hurt him to think about leaving her for good, but it was what was better for Ludwig, and that was what was important to Gilbert. 

He put down the pan for eggs, leaving them to cook while he invited her inside. “Yo, Eli.” He grinned, picking up her nickname that he’d made up for her. It generally annoyed her, which was the point. She huffed.

“I have important things to talk to you about, Gil. Now’s not the time for fooling around, calling me something I’m not.” 

“You know Elizaveta isn’t your real name, right?”

“Yes, I am Erzébet.” She huffed. “How you know that is beyond me.” 

“I knew you before the accident, of course.” He went back to his scrambled eggs. “Duh, why do you think I know just how to push on your buttons?”

Elizaveta looked like she had eaten something sour, her forehead creasing. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

He flipped them over in the pan, adding some more salt. “I couldn’t. Even if I had, would you have believed me? Of course not. You were putty in Roderich’s hands.” He chortled at the look of frustration, and then recognition that he was probably correct. She slumped. 

“Are you the plant the White Knight has watching me?”

“I am not going to talk about him, I’m not at liberty.” Her face suddenly changed into a grin. 

“You were, weren’t you?” Gilbert gave her a look of exasperation. Of course she wouldn’t put together they were one and the same. 

“I can’t talk about it. Want some eggs and bacon?” He offered, and she politely declined, explaining that she’d already eaten. Ludwig waved to her, and she looked surprised. 

“You have a son?”

“Adopted brother, in fact.” Gilbert said, smugly. “Never judge a book by its cover. I’m a hardworking citizen with a dependent, not just a stupid, perverted bachelor.” Ludwig looked up to him like he was confused. 

“She thought you were a what?” Mildly offended, he looked to Elizaveta like he didn’t like her already. 

“Nothing, Lutz.” Gilbert set down the plate of breakfast in front of him, and ruffled his hair. “She was just told wrong. Don’t be angry at the ignorant.” 

Elizaveta huffed. “You don’t have to be smug. I didn’t know you had a child to take care of. So what?”

So being an older brother to an adopted child didn’t change her mind about him. Drat.

“We’re moving due to the rising chance more Super laws are going to be passed.” She looked surprised again. 

“Moving? To where? There is not really an escape from the laws, is there?” She asked him, confused. “And why would you need to be worried? Aren’t you normal?”

“No, and don’t call it normal. Normal makes being a Super something strange, when really the number of Supers in the world beats the population of non-Supers.” He said, rolling his eyes. “And I’m a copy-cat, and Lutz is a strongarm like yourself.” He scoffed. “We are most certainly in danger of super laws.”

Elizaveta’s eyes just about fell out of their sockets. “That’s why Roderich thought you were….”

“Exactly.” He said gravely. “He knows I’m a super, just can’t find out which kind I am. Once he has a Eureka moment, I’m screwed over.”

Elizaveta rubbed her temples. “Wait, that means…” Was she going to figure it out?

“Yeah?” He asked, a little excited and a little curious as to what she was going to say. She looked him over for a minute, before the thought was dismissed. 

“Nope, couldn’t be. You’re a little short to be the White Knight.” She had the right idea, but missed the mark entirely. He was disappointed, but couldn’t help anything.

“So I’m going to leave in two weeks.” He said, irritated at the change in subject to something like that. “I wanted to know if you wanted to come with Ludwig and I. You’re in as much danger here as I am. Once Roderich figures out you’ve partially remembered, you’ll be brainwashed again.”

Elizaveta looked unsure. “You really think he will do it again?”

“I know him well enough to be able to say, yes, definitely, he will. Fucker’s crazy about you, Eli, I’ll give him that.” Gilbert rubbed his temples. “Anyway, that’s a given. I’m not inviting you to live with me or anything, but it’s a choice you should think about, given that you are screwed living in the US while Europe’s having all these pro-Super movements.”

Elizaveta sighed, looking off. “I have to think about it, Gilbert. I have…unattended things left here.”

“If you’re thinking about the White Knight, you should give up on him.” Gilbert told her, and she gave him a hot look.

“Why on earth would I do that?” She asked, furious. “He and I had a relationship!” 

“Yes, one that he had his heart broken in when you were swayed by Roderich’s song. I know the whole shabbang, and trust me- your chances with him are slim to none.” Gilbert said flatly, and that shut her up quickly.

“Are you saying he doesn’t love me anymore?”

“I’m saying, yes, he’s probably moved on. Didn’t you hear about that accident? He was on a blind date that went sour. He’s on the market. And you’ve changed, Eli. More than you can even realize, honestly.”

Her hopes were sinking. “Still….I have to…try. For him.” She said, and something firmed up inside her. She was resolute, just like he’d thought she’d been. 

“Whatever, Eli. Just take care of yourself. Don’t hurt yourself chasing after a dream.” He said, gravely. 

She huffed, and made to leave, but stopped in the doorway. “Don’t call me Eli, idiot.” She looked back at him, uncertain. 

“You tell me that every-”

“Call me Erzébet.” She said, firmly, and left, having cut him off midsentence. 

And Gilbert was left with confused feelings all over again.

XXXXX

Elizaveta sighed as she left Gilbert’s house. He couldn’t possibly be the White Knight. The White Knight had been patrolling there, that’s all.

“So why did I look like I was caught?” Her internal incarnation of the White Knight appeared beside her, walking with her back to her car. “Earlier this morning. And why wasn’t he there at the same time?” 

“He might just have been sleeping really heavily.” She feebly explained to herself. “That’s all.”

Her opinion of him had gone up, just a little bit, she admitted. From learning he was practically a father, to getting an invitation to Europe when he had no obligation to bring her with him, Gilbert was looking better and better. 

She had wanted to ask him so many more things, but just as he was getting himself a more respectable opinion, he was being insufferable. So what if the White Knight thought she was gone from him! She’d prove it again, just as she had done in the past. She was sure it would work again, somehow. She got into her car, locking the door out of habit.

Maybe she’d read some “Maiden’s Knight” fanfiction. Just to get a feeling for how their relationship had worked back in the old days, she thought quietly, or maybe that would be a terrible idea. 

Point was- she didn’t know what to do, and felt like she was flat on her ass with no help from her old apparent lover. That was probably the worst thing. She made a loud noise as she put her head against the wheel, and sat up in alarm as her car horn went off. 

Elizaveta sighed as her specter of the White Knight appeared beside her. 

“Maybe you should take Gilbert’s advice.” He said, controversially. “I’ve been a bit of an ass lately. Maybe Gilbert’s right.”

“I don’t want to leave here until I know the truth, and I have a feeling Gilbert Beilschmidt has the answers, but just won’t give them to me.” She huffed, rubbing the nape of her neck, and looking down into her lap as she listened to his opinion. 

“It’ll be less dangerous for you in Europe.”

“I know that, but…”

“But what? The White Knight? Maybe he’ll move as well. He obviously has been watching you, at some level. So he may just go with you.”

That made a disturbing amount of sense. And if the White Knight just left with her, that would be the best thing for them both, because maybe then, he’d loosen up about his identity around her.

Elizaveta, no, Erzébet would have to go back to Gilbert.

As she looked at the time, she decided maybe tomorrow would be better.

XXXX

Gilbert was on a date with some chick that Antonio had picked up. She was sweet and innocent, and really cute, but really, not Gilbert’s type. Her name was Lili, and he was giving her time and attention because he really had to branch out away from the masochistic relationships he put himself in.

“So, Gilbert, your eyes are very pretty.” She murmured, smiling up at him from across the table. “Were you born with them?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m an albino.” He said, grinning awkwardly. 

“Oh, that’s kind of obvious.” Her laughter was nice, something along the lines of bells. She was cute, he’d admit that.

“Well, what are you ordering?” He had taken her out for sushi, and was completely lost. 

“Maybe we should ask the waiter for an opinion on some good things.” She said, smiling at him.

“That is a really smart idea.” He laughed a bit, before sitting back up.

They traded some basic information, what was his favorite color, what was her favorite pastime, and spent a nice evening together, eventually ordering some basic tuna and salmon rolls.

“I liked tonight.” She said, smiling and taking his hand. “Can I expect a repeat of it sometime, Gilbert?”

“Yes, I’d like that.” He smiled, and nodded. “It was nice talking to you. I’ll call you with a date in the future, okay?” He let go of her hands, and waved as he left.

Lili Zwingli was a sweetheart from Liechtenstein, raised with her brother. She was actually coming over from Europe to collect her brother, currently living in the US, and would be going over to Germany on the same flight as Gilbert was. 

As far as he was concerned, it was a good honest try, and the date had gone well enough she wanted a repeat. He went home with a spring in his step. He’d been on his best behavior for the naïve, petite woman, after all. Maybe that was the difference. 

Either way, he was looking forward to the next date.

XXXX

Erzébet was tossing and turning in bed as she dreamed of times past. She groaned in pain as the vague images slid past her, dragging up a painful emotional past that she only remembered in bits and pieces.

She saw his face, and it slid out of her reach just as she was getting closer to it. 

She knew who he was just for a second, and she woke up panting in her bed. She turned to the left, and looked to where a shadow was standing.

At first she thought it was the White Knight’s hallucination that had been following her around since the first day she could remember.

But then she saw his face, and screamed.

It was Gilbert Beilschmidt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to SpeckledPanda and LaurelNymph for leaving kudos on my work! It means a lot to me!


	4. Flower of Carnage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Gilbert warms up to Lili, Erzébet fights with herself over what must be done. But is all as it seems?

Roderich came into the room like a shot. She would have been mildly creeped out, but as of right now Gilbert Beilschmidt was standing in her room only to-

Be gone.

He wasn’t there.

No one was, but Roderich and herself.

It had been a dream.

Erzébet panted as she looked around, Roderich asking her what had happened, if she was alright, generally being the caring boyfriend that she had once been convinced he was.

“I’m fine.” She finally brought herself to say. “Just a nightmare.” Roderich nodded, sitting down beside her and rubbing her back.

She tensed up at first, but then relaxed for him, desperately needing the comfort the White Knight wouldn’t give her.

“That’s fine. I’m just glad you’re okay.” He mumbled, holding her tight, her head in the crook of his neck. “I heard you and came in. Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Had she not been so terrified, she would be yelling at him to get out. But for this one moment, she would tolerate him.

They stayed like that for a long while. But even after Roderich thought she had fallen back asleep, and had left, she was awake wondering.

Why was Gilbert Beilschmidt in her bedroom? Was he a mirage, or a memory? Had he really been there?

She just didn’t know.

XXXXX

Gilbert was humming as he made breakfast in his floral apron. He flipped the sausage filled pancakes with a smile. Maybe he was  
still enjoying the aftereffects of meeting a cute girl who liked him. It was a rare circumstance.

Ludwig gave him a weird look as he came down the stairs. “I thought you said you never would wear that apron.”

“There’s a time for everything.” Gilbert said, handing him a plate full of sausage filled pancakes.

“What’s the occasion?” Ludwig asked, looking at the pancakes with delight.

“I got a hot date who wants a second one.” He said, gloating. Ludwig lit up.

“That’s great, Gil! Is she nice?”

“She’s very nice.” Gilbert agreed, sighing as he turned off the stove top and sat down to eat his own plate of pancakes. “Her name is Lili, and she’s very sweet.” Gilbert told him, before shoving some into his mouth.

“Much better than that Erzébet lady.” Ludwig said, huffing.

“Oh, you just don’t know Erzébet .” Gilbert defended. “And her name is Erzébet now. Don’t give Roderich the satisfaction of calling her that.”

“Why did she change names, anyway?” Ludwig asked, stabbing his pancakes with his fork.

“Because, she feels as though that name, Erzébet , doesn’t belong to her anymore.” Gilbert explained simply. “She was remade into a new identity, and now she’s rediscovered her old self.”

“So she’s the same kind of super as me?” Ludwig changed topics, confused by what Gilbert meant. “Is a strongarm just really strong?”

“Not just really strong, Lutz- Super strong.” He kissed his forehead as he cleaned up his plate. “Finish your food.”

XXXXX

She punched the bag in front of her in anger, in frustration. She was at an exercise class, practicing how to throw a punch correctly. She threw a kick in there for good measure. It had been a few days since she had last seen Gilbert Beilschmidt, and she was taking the White Knight’s advice. She was learning how to fight all over again.

Her muscles had fallen into disuse, her muscle memory had faded. This was harder than it looked. She had to be careful to control how hard she punched, as well- Erzébet didn’t want to alert the very nice teacher that she was a strongarm. That’d be bad.

She let out a frustrated sigh as she got the combination wrong, and had to start over.

The White Knight was sitting beside her, looking bored. “Are you even sure that I will let you patrol with me? You never know.”

“I have to…ugh… try.” She grunted as she threw three quick punches, followed by an undercut. “Fuck…Gilbert Beilschmidt.”

“I am your voice of reason, Erzébet. I’m just your inner thoughts out loud.”

She glared hard at him, grunting as she failed to come up with a response to that. She kept running through their last conversation in her head, trying to come to a decision. She’d be undoubtedly safer in Europe, with him, but who knows what would happen to the White Knight? What if he was caught? Or worse, killed?

What if Gilbert was right and he had moved on?

She didn’t know what to do anymore.

But she did know that after a week of classes, she felt confident enough to try to patrol with him once more.

XXXX

Gilbert was calling his friends over for dinner that night as he cooked up a big pot of chili. He thanked Francis and Antonio for coming and hung up, when he heard a tentative knock from his door. He didn’t even bother to take off his apron, assuming it was his neighbor coming to get some sugar or something.

But it was actually Lili. His mouth dropped open and his face went bright red. He was in a floral apron. How embarrassing.

She giggled. “Hello Gilbert. Thought I’d stop by. Mind if I drop in?”

“Not at all,” He answered quickly, opening the door a little wider for her to come in.

Lili looked around the kitchen with a surveying look. The kitchen was messy, yet cozy and warm. The place was well lived in, and well loved. He felt a little embarrassed about the state of the place, yet this is what happened when you had a small child- they were messy and didn’t always clean up after themselves.

But they were worth it, Gilbert thought to himself. He took off the apron, and set it aside. “So why’d you stop by?” He asked, curious.

“Well, I wanted to meet Ludwig. You seemed so passionate about children when we had our first date.” Lili’s eyes twinkled as she looked over to Ludwig on his stool, helping Gilbert cook. “He is awfully cute.”

Gilbert grinned. “I know he is. He’s my brother, after all.” Ludwig puffed up, and turned bright red.

“Am not!” Ludwig protested. “I’m not cute!”

Both adults laughed. “You’re as cute as Miss Lili here.” Gilbert complimented them both in one swoop, and Lili blushed herself, her pale skin turning a faint pink.

“Thank you Gilbert.” She smiled, and looked around again. “So you’re making dinner? Mind if I stay?” She asked, kindly.

“I don’t mind at all.” He smiled back, and together they finished the chili, and prepared for a group dinner.

Life was good, for once.

XXXX

Erzébet put on her Lululemon athletic wear, having nothing better to wear after all, and put her hair up into a bun, before covering it with a bandana. She put on her mask, and headed out through her window, planning on patrolling.

She had been having exercise and fighting classes for the past week, and with only a week left before her decision had to be made, she had to hurry up and get back to the White Knight.

However, it seemed as though he wasn’t out tonight.

That was problematic, as there seemed to be a rather large problem.

Namely, a non-registered Super going on his final rampage.

Police were working desperately to stop the behemoth, but they weren’t having any luck.

It looked like he was on a suicide mission, after all. With a man that big going against a bunch of humans, both were going to suffer losses. The man was going to die, but he was going to take down a bunch of men with him.

Erzébet wrapped up her fingers, preparing for a fight. She would save as many humans as she could.

She jumped in from the roof, her Super strength kicking in as she hit the road and dented it. “It’s another Super!” Civilians cried, making a run for the higher ground. She had to protect them.

As the man made an inhuman noise and barreled toward her, she put her hands up and stopped him in his tracks, and he made a noise of sharp confusion.

She grunted, and picked him up, and threw him over her head, his head passing her and his face showing intense confusion.

There were now deeper indents in the road, making it crack more and making the cracks widen. Oops. Well, she was doing it for a good cause, so they could suck it up and repair the road.

Erzébet grunted as she ran over to him. “You need to stop!” She yelled at the behemoth, which seemed to listen to her, and shrunk down. It was a blonde male, big frame, and big nose, with a heavy Russian accent.

“Why should I?” He hissed. “They killed Natalia.”

“Natalia?” She mumbled, wracking her brains for the name. “You mean the lady with the ice powers?” She hesitated. “It wasn’t the police who killed her. It was another Super.” The man looked dumbfounded.

“You mean this human scum didn’t? Another one of us did the awful deed?” The man growled, his bluish eyes turning a furious red as he threatened to transform again.

“No, don’t transform!” She said, desperate. “…I’m looking for him too.” She said, conspiratorially. “His name’s the White Knight, and he’s killed many of our kind.”

She didn’t like this, but his interest was piqued, and he calmed down again. “Are you willing to help me look for him?” He growled, and then as gunshots fired, she nodded quickly, and his eyes narrowed. “Then we need to take this elsewhere. My name is Ivan.” He introduced, picking her up like she was nothing.

“Thank you for stopping.” She mumbled. “I was worried that he would come. He normally patrols around here.”

“Is he the traitor?” He suddenly came to the conclusion, finality in his voice. “The German speaking traitor of Supers?”

She didn’t know, so she shrugged. “I know he’s German?”

He nodded, and as the police grew more confident, he scooped her up, and jumped up, getting to the roof of a building as she screamed in terror. “Oh, shut up. This is nothing. I saw you jump from that building.”

“It’s a little different when you’re being carried!” She yelled back.

He started jumping from rooftop to rooftop, and she went limp, folding her arms. “Asshole.” She grumbled, and he laughed heartily.

Once they were out of the general vicinity of where he had been rampaging, he set her down. “We’re far away enough. Tell me what you know about him.”

“The police actually hate the White Knight.” She said, truthfully. “Many Supers here wonder about his loyalty because he’s not afraid to go after Supers. He was the killer of billionaire Arthur Kirkland.” His eyes widened.

“He was the one who killed the pyrokinetic? I always thought it was his human lover.” Anger rose in his voice. “Kirkland and I had some relationship, and his death was a shock.”

“Yeah, he killed Kirkland.” Erzébet felt a little awkward. “He did a lot of things.”

The man hummed, and closed his eyes as he thought for a minute. “Well, I have an idea. How about we work together?” He asked with a big smile on his face. Normally, this would have comforted her, but it was a little odd coming from a behemoth that could smash her into the ground and kill her.

She felt as though she had made a deal with the devil. Ivan smiled at her as they shook on it. "I'll help you find the White Knight, alright Erzébet? But after I help you, I expect you to owe me a favor, yes?"

Ivan's grip on her hand tightened, and she agreed in a very strained voice. She'd have bruises from that shake. Erzébet only smiled. "Good. We're a team." Ivan said. "I will contact you when I have more information on the man. I have eyes everywhere,

Erzébet. I will find you when I want to meet again." And he let go of her hand, gave a deceptively friendly smile, and started jumping rooftops again.

She felt giddy. She was officially in the underground Super community. She didn't need the White Knight to protect the innocent.

Erzébet patrolled until three in the morning, and then was when she realized the White Knight wasn't coming, and that Roderich was going to get her up at 6, she would have to go home and sleep.

She felt miffed. The man hadn't even bothered to show up. Gilbert's words about the White Knight having moved on came to  
mind. Then worse thoughts came to mind.

Had Roderich finally caught him?

XXXX

Gilbert was in bed after a satisfying round of sex with the surprisingly sexually deviant Lili. She was still sleeping, her smooth, pale arms wrapped around his strong, scarred torso.

He felt pretty damn good, even if she wasn't Erzébet. He had been faithful for 4 years, and now he had officially cut the last ties to their previous life.

Erzébet had been the woman he had given his virginity to, and that was still there, but now she wasn't the only person he had slept with. He only felt mildly guilty that he had been crying out Lili's name in ecstasy as they did the deed.

Erzébet was now in love with a fantasy- Something that would never be there for her.

Not Gilbert.

That was why it was okay for him to do this, he justified. Erzébet would never figure out he was the White Knight, and even if he told her, she would likely scorn him, or laugh at him for lying.

He had done all that he owed her, and cuddled up to Lili as he nuzzled her.

Now he was free to do as he pleased.

XXXXX

Gilbert woke up with Lili not there, and so looked around quickly, feeling a little miffed.   Had she left in the middle of the night?  That was before he smelled someone cooking in the kitchen.

He was relieved.  She had gotten up before him to make breakfast.  That was all.

He rolled out of bed with a thump to the floor, grunting, too lazy to stand up.  He pushed himself off the floor as he heard Ludwig snoring in the other room. He would have to get him up soon, it was Sunday morning, and the boy had to do his homework.   

He pulled on a pair of underwear and pants, going out topless to see Lili in his apron, which swallowed her up.  He smiled, a little amused. 

“Did you sleep well?”  She asked him, smiling sweetly.  Gilbert grinned, and nodded back. 

“Yeah, and you?”  She made a general noise of agreement, and only set down a plate of pancakes, before pushing them towards him. 

“Eat up.”  She winked.  “You’ll need it after last night.”

“Oooh, saucy,” He joked, laughing a little.  “You’ll need even more than me then, Lili.”

She laughed her tinkling little laugh, and Gilbert’s grin widened. 

“You know, I used to have a friend that made the best pancakes in the world.” He hummed. “He disappeared after the Super laws, so I hope, wherever he ended up, he’s happy.”

Lili looked…guilty?   “Really?  So he was, um, a Super?  What kind?”

“He was Matthew Williams, an invisible.”  Gilbert agreed.  “Poor kid, never ever wanted a fight.  He probably went willingly to his end.”

“His…end?”  Lili sounded uncomfortable.  “Tell me more.”

“Well, you know what happens when a Super goes to the authorities to register.”

“I actually don’t.”  She mumbled, looking away from him. His red eyes looked worried. 

“Really? Well, most of the general public doesn’t know, so I shouldn’t be too surprised.  Well, they erase the memory of the Super completely.  They then set him up in a dead end job, and leave them to rot.”

Gilbert’s voice was almost angry by the time he finished the sentence.  Lili looked horrified. 

“That’s what they’ll do to you?”  She mumbled, horrified.  “All those poor people….”

“Yes, they erase their lives, rip them away from family and friends, and then leave them to fend for themselves.  That’s why Super violence has gone up, not that Supers are fighting against the laws.”

“That’s….”  She sounded choked up.  “Horrible.”  Lili shuddered. 

“Which is why I’m fighting against the laws- it’s why all of us should be against the laws.  They’re not right.  Supers are still human, not some kind of monster.  We’re people.”  He said firmly, not noticing the slip up of “we”. 

Lili looked stricken, though Gilbert didn’t assume anything was up. 

Not until it was too late.

XXXX

Erzébet was at home making pastries tiredly.  She’d be sleeping, but she had to get in the swing of things quickly, or Roderich would suspect something was up.  She’d be patrolling tonight, as well. 

That morning, she had groaned as Roderich had woken her up, as she had asked the night before. 

 _“I can come back later.”_ He had asked, sweetly as she rolled out of bed.  So he still didn’t suspect anything from her.  That was surprising.  But then again, he was blindly in love with her. 

“ _No, no I have to get up.”_ She had grumbled, and had sat up, feeling the cold attack her unpleasantly.   She wrapped covers around her as she sat in bed. 

The poor sap had made her breakfast in bed.

“ _I know you’ve had a lot of nightmares lately, and I was just…”_ He had shuffled.  “ _Well.  I just wanted to do something nice.”_   She had smiled, before turning sour.  No matter how much he loved her, he had ruined her life, had stolen it away from her. 

“ _Thank you Roderich.  But I’m not hungry right now.  It’s six.”_

“ _Oh…”_ He had sounded disappointed.  “ _Well, it’ll be in the kitchen.  Come down when you’re ready.”_

That had been that morning.  The morning was uneventful, until Vash had called Roderich in the station about something. 

He had left in quite a hustle after that. 

So now she was alone, making pastries to bring to Gilbert’s house in the afternoon.   She wanted to come with him to Europe, and so would try and convince him to get her a ticket.

Maybe this wouldn’t work, but she had to try.  Europe was the place to be, after all.  And it could draw the White Knight out of where he’d been in the past week. 

She was on the news, as a mysterious fighter who calmed a behemoth and vanished. They of course warned the public on the dangers of unregistered Supers, and told them if they ever found out about one, to immediately call the police, who would take care of the problem.

“Take care of it is one way to put it.”  A familiar voice said, one she recognized to be her apparition of the White Knight. 

“Where have you gone?”  She asked him, knowing full well that he, the apparition, didn’t have a clue as much as she did.  “Why have you left me to flounder?”

“I don’t know.” He said, guiltily.  “Are you sure you want to wait for me?  Isn’t there someone else you’re interested in?”

He transformed, and a casually dressed Gilbert was in his place, giving her a wide grin. 

“Maybe someone like me?”   Erzébet’s eyes widened. 

“No way!”  She said, in denial.

“So why are you making him pastries?  He already invited you.  You don’t need to convince him that you’re worth bothering with.”

She stopped filling the French pastries, looking a little surprised at the revelation. 

“Why am I making him pastries?  I don’t owe him anything.”   She mumbled, searching herself for the answer. 

“Exactly.”   He smiled at her figuring it out. “You don’t know why you’re doing this for him.  There has to be a reason.”

“So what is that?”  She asked herself, confused.

She didn’t know, and only sat in her kitchen, pulling up a chair as she contemplated the pastry.

XXXX

Lili and he had been together the whole day, and they had simply hung out, Gilbert and her aiding Ludwig with his homework, and Ludwig being clued in that something had gone on between the two adults.

It was in the afternoon that…everything went wrong.

“Gil, I have a question to ask you.”  Her voice sounded…odd.

“Hold on a sec.”  He came into the kitchen again, where Lili was looking paralyzed. 

She stiffened as he smiled at her.

“Gil, are you a super?”  Lili’s voice sounded…almost choked up.  Well, that question had come out of the blue.  But something was wrong.  So why should he suspect anything?

“Yeah, I am…”  He answered, going over to her and gently stroking her face.  “What’s wrong, Lili?”

“What kind?”  She sounded like she was about to start crying.  Gilbert pulled her into a hug.

“Well, I’m what you call a copycat, I don’t have any true powers, but I can copy powers I see in my lifetime.”  Lili only seemed to cry harder at that, and that’s when Gilbert saw it.

There was a bug around her neck, in the form of a necklace.

XXXX

Erzébet continued to contemplate her and Gilbert, turning on the news.

That was when she saw it- That thing that would forever haunt her memory.

“THE WHITE KNIGHT HAS BEEN CAUGHT.”

Erzébet screamed as she saw Roderich looking very smug on national television.  


	5. Y Tu Mira

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The farce is over. Gilbert has finally been caught. This is the end of the White Knight.

Gilbert grunted as he was running.  Ludwig would be fine, he hoped.  He had left a text for Erzébet, having stolen her number years ago in case of an emergency. 

This certainly qualified.

He jumped up into the trees as police shot at him.  There was a helicopter that was on him, and he knew that this was probably already airing on National Television. 

In other words, he was totally screwed. 

But he had no time for thinking like that.  He was on his way to Francis and Antonio’s hotel.  They would help him- they had to!

He ran inside, up to the elevator.  He would have to jump out the window once he was done talking to them.  He ran into Francis on the third floor.

“Mon ami, what?”  Francis looked a little shocked to see him, even a little pale, Gilbert would say. 

“I haven’t got time to explain, but we have to talk.” Gilbert said urgently. 

“Alright, I’ll take you to my room.”  Francis said, and led the way to a small hotel room.  “In, come in.”

“I’ve been caught, Francis!”  He said, panicked.  “Lili was a spy sent by Roderich to catch me!  I can’t believe I slept with her.”

“You what?”  Francis said, sounding outraged.  “You slept with that innocent girl?  Her brother will be so pissed at us!”

“Francis?”  Gilbert said, paling beyond his normal complexion.

“Shit.”  A very tired looking Francis gave him a look.  “Look, I’m sorry Gilbert.  This was all a lie.  We have been registered this whole time.  We didn’t make it out of the country.” Francis revealed, and Gilbert was left reeling. 

“So, even you’ve been spying on me.”  He said, sounding choked up. Francis looked pained. 

“In the end, I wasn’t.  Maybe Antonio was, I don’t know.  They threatened our lives, the new ones.  We didn’t know that you would let us in with open arms, Gilbert.  I’m so sorry.” 

“Traitor.”  Gilbert growled, having half a mind to scorch his old friend turned enemy.  “What will Ludwig do when I come home and do not remember him?  Or did you turn him in as well.”

“Ludwig will be safe, mon ami.”  Francis said desperately, knowing that he had no chance of stopping Gilbert when he was fully enraged.   “Antonio and I agreed not to tell anyone about the boy. 

“Then that’s the only reason you’re still alive.”  Gilbert’s red eyes flashed, and he took off at a run, breaking through the window and falling to the ground, breaking the road as he went. 

He had no one he could trust anymore.

XXXX

Erzébet was watching the news in a state of stupor.  Her phone rang with a text, as it had been for the past 10 minutes.  Roderich was cheap, and so had gotten her a cheap replacement for her broken phone. 

She went over to it quietly, and picked it up.  It was from Gilbert.  She couldn’t bear to read it just yet.

The headlines still reeled across the TV.

GILBERT BEILSCHMIDT, SUSPECTED SUPER, HAS BEEN CONFIRMED

She didn’t know what to say. 

WHITE KNIGHT’S REIGN OF TERROR ENDS

She didn’t know what she _could_ say.

WHITE KNIGHT ON THE RUN, STOP AT ALL COSTS

I’m sorry, maybe?

She just didn’t know what to think anymore.  All those times Gilbert had spoken to her about the White Knight, it had been himself he was speaking of. 

All those times she had been mean to him came back to her.  No wonder he wanted to forget about her.  She was obviously nothing like Erzébet had been to him. 

Lili Zwingli was on TV, talking about how she had gotten Gilbert caught.  There was something about her that looked….guilty, though.  Maybe she just didn’t like the publicity.  The camera switched to footage of Gilbert jumping out of a building, and to the ground 4 stories under him.  He shoved the camera man aside, and continued running. 

Erzébet had to help, somehow.  She put on her mask, and her athletic wear, and took off out the window, planning on helping him somehow.

However, as she ran out of the house, she was stopped by a literal behemoth being in the way. 

“Hello little one.”  Ivan looked at her with a wide smile. “I do believe it’s time to talk, now that the White Knight is out of our hair, about a different German problem.”

XXXX

“So you lied to me?”  Ivan said, over a cup of whiskey.  They had gone to one of Ivan’s favorite bars.

“Not necessarily.  I’m looking for the White Knight, but not for the reasons I told you.  The real one we’re after is Roderich.  Roderich Edelstein.”

“The man you live with?”  Ivan sounded confused.  “So why haven’t you killed him yet?”

“I haven’t been able to…”  She mumbled.  “But now that I know that Gilbert was really the White Knight all along, and Roderich set him up…”  Her hands tightened into fists.  “That he took him away from that little boy….”

Speaking of that little boy, what would happen to him?  She hadn’t thought about it until now.

“So Beilschmidt has a child? We should probably take him before the police do.”  Ivan voiced her thoughts. 

Erzébet downed her own thing of beer.  “Yes, we should.  I’ll go tonight to Roderich, ask him if we can take the boy in. Then I’ll leave him. This time, for good.”  She said, firmly.  She would no longer tolerate Roderich, now that she knew that the man he had tried so hard to make her hate was the man she was in love with, and had been with for years. 

“That’s a good plan. I’ll house you both in my sphere of influence.  The police will never look for you two there.”  His smile took on a creepy look, and Erzébet shivered.

“Thank you, Ivan.  I’ll certainly take you up on that.  But why are you forgiving me for lying?”

“I know that if I’m truly going to punish Beilschmidt for what he did, I need him to remember Natalia.” Ivan said, plainly.  “I won’t kill him, just make him suffer. Just a little bit.”

“Right…” She looked uneasy, but only nodded. “We have to work together.  You go see if you can help get him out of there, and I’ll go get Ludwig.”

XXXXX

Erzébet finally bothered to look at her phone was she was dressed properly, and gasped as she saw what it was. 

“ _Erzébet, I know that you know that I’m the White Knight.  This will not matter for long, as I’ve just been caught by Roderich with irrefutable truth supporting him.”_

_“I want you to know that I am leaving Ludwig in your care.  If I can make it out of the country through the Canadian border, I will.  But that’s unlikely.”_

_“I hope you forgive me for not telling you.”_

_“I love you.”_

She was crying and she didn’t know why.  Gilbert was asking forgiveness from her?  That was strange. It had been her that had refused to even think of the possibility.  Gilbert was now out of her reach, unless he somehow made it to Canada before they caught him.

She rubbed her phone with her thumb, and wished him luck.  She had to go get the boy, who was likely still in bed-before Roderich did.

XXXXX

Gilbert was still on the run, and now he was on the rooftops of buildings, jumping to try and get away.  “If only I had seen a Flier before!” He cursed himself, and kept jumping.  They were gaining on him, as he was getting tired.  But he couldn’t, wouldn’t stop and let himself be caught. 

That would be the end of him.  He grunted as he made a harsh landing, and tripped, falling on his belly and having the wind knocked out of him. 

He got up shakily, and started running, as the helicopter caught up to him and the spotlight was on him. He was blinded by light, but he made a jump too early and fell to the ground, several stories below him. 

He fell and fell, and in that moment, he realized that he was truly and utterly fucked.

He blacked out as he smashed into the pavement at a high speed no human would have survived a fall at.

Roderich had won.

Gilbert was finally caught.

XXXX

Erzébet crept into the house, long since deserted by the police, and found Ludwig crying on the floor.  “Hey, Ludwig.”

“Did you betray my brother?”  He asked, voice harsh, yet squeaky.  He was obviously very upset, and had been crying.  “Like Miss Lili did?”

“Lili, who’s Lili?”

“She was a lot nicer than you, I thought, but then she turned my brother into the police.”  He hiccupped.  “But she told me to hide.  I don’t know what to think.”

“I need you to come with me.”  She smiled, trying to comfort the boy.  “I’m going to bring you to a safe place.”

“Why would you help me? You hate my brother.”  Ludwig said, far too bitter for a four year old.

Erzébet stiffened. “I don’t hate him.”  She mumbled, shaking her head.  “I don’t…It’s just difficult.  He hid a very big thing from me, okay?” 

Ludwig sniffled.  “Fine.  I’ll come with you.  But you have to promise not to tell anyone we’re Supers.”

“Why would I do that?”  She asked.  “Because I’m a super too, you know.”

“I know, but Miss Lili was one too and she ratted Gilbert out.”

“I understand.  I’d never betray Gilbert, not anymore.”   She picked him up, and carried him out. 

XXXX

Gilbert woke up in a chair, locked down.  He groaned in pain.  “I’m glad it hurts.”  Someone growled in his ears.  “You’re the reason she left me. I just know it.”  He opened his eyes to see Roderich in his face.

“Damn you.”  He croaked.  “I hate you. You’ve taken everything from me, and now you’re going to take my memory of it.”

“Damn right I am.”  Roderich murmured ominously, enraged.  “You can’t complain. I finally had the perfect life, and you had to ruin it for me!”  He punched Gilbert in the face.  “Freak!  Monster!”   He punched him over and over, bruising Gilbert’s face and making his nose bleed.

“Don’t give me such compliments.  You’re as much as those things as I am.”  He hissed, spitting blood in his face. 

“Let’s see how long you keep saying those things.”  Roderich pulled the switch, and Gilbert’s eyes widened.  He had started the machine he was attached to.  That meant, within minutes, the life would be drained out of him, quite literally.

It wasn’t long before that thought was gone from his memory.

“Fucker.”  He said, before he went blank, and looked startled to see Roderich standing in front of him.  “Why are you here?”  He sounded confused, before that was gone too.  He groaned as his head started hurting, as his memory was being erased.  His emotional memory would stay intact, but his personal memory was going to be gone.

“Goodbye, Gilbert Beilschmidt.”  Roderich waved as the life drained out of Gilbert’s red eyes. “I won’t miss you.”

He left, and Gilbert was left as his memories of the past four years were erased.  Then it attacked his flashbulb memory of Erzébet’s capture.  That was going to take a while.  He cried, calling out desperately for her as his memory was eaten away, before that memory was gone too. 

His college experience, his love with Erzebet, his high school memories.  Middle school. All were gone in the first five minutes.  That was when someone came in quietly, and turned off the machine. 

Not that Gilbert knew anymore.  He was a child in a big body, looking scared and confused at the petite blond woman that has stepped into the room, and started untying him.  “What are you doing?” He said in a small voice, vocabulary limited to his native language.  “Who are you?”

Gilbert was patted on the head.  She at least spoke in German.  “They already took much from you, Gilbert, but you need to listen to me.”  Bluish green eyes met his, and she smiled at him softly, sadly. “You need to know that I am sorry.  So very sorry.  And I can only do this one thing for you.”  She gently healed his wounds, and kissed his forehead. “You have to go now. Run Gilbert, run and don’t stop.  Don’t stop until you meet the one you’re looking for.”  She helped him stand, and he wobbled on his feet that were now much bigger than he remembered them to be. 

“Okay…”  He mumbled, and stumbled out of the room.  The woman led him outside. 

“Her name is Erzébet, and she’ll be able to help you.”  She whispered, and kissed him passionately, making Gilbert blush profusely.  “I know you don’t remember me or what I did, but…please, go now!”  She pushed him as a man called out something in English.  “Run and don’t turn back!”

Gilbert took off unsteadily, though he quickly gained speed. 

XXXX

Lili watched as the albino ran away, his proud spirit gone. 

“God forgive me.”  She mumbled, and turned back inside to face her own music as they realized the prisoner was missing.  “God have mercy on my soul.”

XXXX

Gilbert was getting awfully tired.  He had lost the people who had been chasing him a while back, and now he was simply exhausted.  He didn’t know how long it had been, but it felt like forever!  Gilbert sighed quietly, went into an abandoned alley, and crouched inside some cardboard boxes.  His memory was splotchy at best, but he was supposed to be a little kid, not some big lumbering adult!

He curled up into a little ball, whimpering.  He just wanted to go home, but they had just kept chasing him until he had gotten all lost.  He didn’t know where to go from here, or where he was supposed to meet this Erzébet person.

He was quiet, occasionally sniffling softly, feeling very out of place in the strange world around him. HE had grown up in the countryside, until he moved to the city when he was 5.  But, now he was simply four years old again. 

He cried as it started to rain, not that anyone was going to see him like this.  Someone was walking by, and he heard footsteps by the place he was hiding, and he quieted very fast.  “Hello, is someone there?” A soft voice was heard, kind.  Gilbert didn’t move, and whoever it was got down on their hands and knees, and Gilbert was staring into the soft violet eyes of a kind looking man. 

“Leave me alone.”  He said harshly in German. He couldn’t understand the man.  The man’s eyes widened as he recognized him. He mumbled some more in English, and reached out to pull him out.  When Gilbert pulled away from him, the man simply forced his way in and grabbed the boy in a man’s body.

“You’re Gilbert Beilschmidt.”  He heard his name, and nodded quietly, still nervous.  He didn’t understand what he was saying, but as the man heaved him up onto his feet, he leaned into him tiredly.  “Did they really leave you like this?”  He mumbled, and held the man up.  “Well, I can’t be that cruel.”  He started walking, Gilbert stumbling after him, and eventually the man simply pulled the now partially registered Super onto his back, carrying him to his home. 

He would be safe for now, he hoped.  Gilbert fell asleep on his back.

XXXXX

Erzébet grumbled as she carried a different sleeping boy.  She had been running with Ivan since that morning, and Ludwig was actually pretty heavy.  She was very grateful when she was finally able to stop.  Gilbert was out there, alone, maybe even getting his memory of her erased at this very moment. 

 

 

This was terrible. She felt beyond guilty.  She set Ludwig down on the nearest couch, and plopped down beside him.  It was a relatively small apartment, with some rooms in the back.  There was a woman with a very heavy set of breasts who was speaking in rapid Russian with Ivan, glancing over to Erzébet and Ludwig.   Erzébet smiled tiredly. 

The woman went into the kitchen to get something, and Ivan turned to Erzébet with a smile.  “My sister says that it is alright if you stay here.  I hope you’ll be comfortable here.”  He left to go after his sister, and she lay down on the couch, absolutely exhausted.  She closed her eyes, and was about to fall asleep, when the young woman came back in with cups of tea. 

“Hello, you can call me Iryna.”  She introduced herself, and smiled brightly. “I heard you are helping my brother go after the man who is in charge of registering Supers.  That is very admirable of you.”

Erzébet took the cup of tea from her eagerly, sitting up and deciding to talk to her.  Roderich had been very controlling, ensuring that she couldn’t talk to women he didn’t approve of- for reasons she now knew to be downright controlling.  Erzébet sighed, and took a sip of her tea.  Even though it burned her mouth, it felt good.  It reminded her that she was alive and free, and she was with people who cared about her, even if was just for a little bit.

Ivan trotted in with a group of two men and one teen.  They looked her over curiously.  “This is Eduard, Toris, and Raivis.”  Ivan introduced them.  “They are my friends.  They are Supers, and they will help us find where Gilbert has gone or find where they have placed him if they have managed to catch him.” Ivan smiled; squeezing the teen’s shoulder and making him quake.  So she wasn’t the only one creeped out by the behemoth. That was good to know.  Iryna smiled at her, and pat her shoulder. 

“I know he’s a little odd in the head, but he really has his heart in the right place.”  She whispered into her ear, and Erzébet nodded. 

“I figured something was up. He’s a little creepy.”  She whispered back, and the two women giggled as Ivan flashed them a look.

“Pay attention, Erzébet.  The last public Super is either on the run, or already gone.  We must find him as soon as possible.”  She nodded, and Ivan smiled again. “Good.  We will start hacking the police station’s computers.  Then we will block their communication, so that we may invade, and get inside if we find out that he’s been taken.  If we’re too late, than we will work on getting him out before they can set him up with a new identity.”  Erzébet nodded again, her stomach sinking at the idea.  What if Gilbert was already gone?  He would have been disappeared from hers and Ludwig’s life, forever.

She didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what she would do when that happened.

The worst thing was, it already had happened. 

And she just didn’t know it yet.

XXXX

“Gilbert, wake up.”  It was a man’s voice, though he didn’t understand what he was saying, he understood the man was calling for him.  The man smiled as he woke up, and watched him warily.

“So you’re the White Knight. It’s a pity you never trusted me enough to tell me.”  Matthew spoke, mostly to himself.  “I’m,” He pointed to himself, “Matthew.”

“Matthew.”  He repeated, understanding the gesture of introducing oneself.  He wouldn’t understand much beyond that. He was a native German speaker.

“Let’s try something. I’m going to try and speak German for you.  You gave me a few lessons, back in high school, and I can use the internet for help.”

It was a disastrous effort.  Gilbert was laughing at him by the end of the first sentence.  “Too bad your attitude hasn’t changed.”  Matthew grumbled. Eventually, he managed to get the message across to Gilbert that he was here to help him, and asked him if he was hungry.  Gilbert nodded eagerly, smiling. 

“You’re a bottomless pit.” He mumbled as Gilbert stuffed himself.  “How long were you been running, probably since they caught you, and that was yesterday morning…So you haven’t eaten since then.” He patted Gilbert’s head, shaking his own. “It’s a downright shame. You were always good fun.”

Matthew sat down with him, and watched him as he inhaled the food.  “Thank you.” He quipped, and Matthew smiled. 

“I understood that.”  He mumbled, remembering Gilbert telling him it meant thank you. 

Gilbert smiled back at him, chattering in German, while Matthew cleaned up the plates.  “I don’t know what I’m going to do with a German speaking kid in a man’s body, but I won’t leave you out to die, that’s for sure.  And what happened to Ludwig?

A shiver went through his body. “Poor kid. His big bro is dead.  Well, maybe I could adopt you both.  He could probably teach you English again, I bet.” Matthew’s expression darkened.  “After all, you helped me after my brother died.  I have to return the favor.”

Gilbert leaned into him tiredly.  He was tired after having eaten, and still sleepy from having run almost 20 miles on foot.  “I’ve got you now, Gil.  And I will get Ludwig tonight, I promise.  For now, rest.”

XXXXX

Erzébet was well rested, and Ludwig was asking her questions. 

“Where’s Gilbert?”  He asked, most frequently.

“I don’t know.” Was her more frequent reply, and that was in fact the best she could give him.

Eduard was on his computer, busy hacking into the police’s network, while the other two played cards.  They had to wait and see where the police were, first and foremost. 

What if they just killed Gilbert?  He was ‘notorious’ enough to warrant that, in Roderich’s eyes, after all. 

“Why were you so mean to Gilbert, if you want to help him now?” Ludwig asked, sitting beside her, as she was the only person in the room who he knew. 

“I didn’t like him.”  She mumbled. “I hated his guts.  But that was before I learned that Roderich had essentially made me hate him. For his own selfish reasons.”

“Someone made you hate him?”  Ludwig was skeptical. 

“I’m a registered Super.” She explained. “Someone erased my memory. I used to like your brother an awful lot.”  Erzebet sighed.  That explained the dream. Her foggy memory was trying to tell her that Gilbert was the man she was looking for.  But she had been too thick headed to picture Gilbert, loud, obnoxious, uncontrollable, could ever be the White Knight.  That was what the White Knight-Gilbert- had meant when he said, “You don’t really know me at all.” 

The apparition that had been by her side since the first day she could remember was gone. 

She was alone in a room full of people. Alone with all of her mistakes. 


	6. Battle Without Honor or Humanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Elizaveta realizes that the police have lost Gilbert, it’s a race against time to get back the now remembering young man.

Gilbert felt like he had been run over, multiple times.  He felt like a carcass left to rot in the streets.  He groaned, and rolled over.  His head was absolutely pounding.

Where was he? Why was he here, on the couch whose owner he knew not, and not at home, in bed?  Where was home?

He didn’t know.  A woman in tight metal armor around her bust and middle, with a long skirt that revealed powerful legs appeared next to him.   _"Drágaságom, I knew you’d keep fighting."_  She said, kissing his forehead lightly.  He smiled, knowing her somehow.  Maybe she knew what was up.  ”You must trod on, my love.  I’m sorry I’m not here with you.”

"Why?" He spoke the first English word in days.

"I will find you soon, I’m sure."  She said, and disappeared.  Gilbert was left lying on the couch, curled up.  He sat up, and rubbed his forehead.  "Where am I?" He asked, stumbling to his feet.

A man came in.  ”Gilbert?  What’s wrong?”

“Where am I?” He asked again.  So Gilbert was his name.  Hunh.  Weird feeling.

"Wow, you can speak in English?  They must not have finished the treatment. You’re in my apartment, Gilbert.  I’m a friend.  I’m Matthew."

“Matthew.”  He repeated, dumbly.  “Okay.  That’s good to know.  My head hurts.” He mumbled, rubbing it. 

“I’ll get you some pain reliever.  I’m not surprised your head hurts; you probably had your memory only partially erased.  So I’m betting it feels like you’re splitting in two.”  Matthew was being quietly conversational. 

“Wow.  That’s really complicated.  So I got my memory erased?”  Gilbert asked, not really hearing him.  Matthew patted his head, and sighed. 

“Yep, definitely did.  Otherwise you wouldn’t be like this.  I figured, since you took care of me when I was erased, I should take care of you when it happened to you.”  He thought for a moment.  “I wonder if you still have your powers, since they’re based in you copying things you’ve seen.  If you don’t remember seeing them, can you still use them?”  He shrugged, and left to get Gilbert some pain relievers. 

Gilbert was left to think about this himself.  His powers?  What powers?  Vague images of fire came to his mind, and he snapped his fingers out of a half-remembered habit, forming a small flame.

Hunh.  That was interesting.

XXXX

“God dammit, the police don’t know where he is and we’ve been wasting all this time on finding him!”  Erzébet yelled, smashing her hand on the keyboard.  “What the fuck are we supposed to do now?”

“Find him.”  Ivan said, putting a hand on her shoulder.  “That’s all we can do, yes?  He’s a Super on the national TV with a half erased memory.  He can’t have gotten too far.”

“Which half did they erase though?  What gives them the goddamn right to erase someone!  They were a person too!  And they just erased their entire life! What is that person left with but a dead end job and no personality?!”  Erzébet screamed in her frustration, making Iryna jump a little, bewildered at her outrage. 

“Calm down, Erzébet.”  She said, putting a hand on her shoulder.  “We know it’s wrong.  That’s why we fight it.  You don’t need to yell. We’ll definitely find him first.”  She smiled at her, and Erzébet sighed. 

“It’s hard, knowing this could have been avoided if I had just left with him immediately.  It could have been avoided if I put the dots together and figured out he was the White Knight.  It could have been avoided in so many ways.”

“Could of, would of, should have.”  Iryna said, smiling. “There’s nothing you can do about it now, but move forward.  You must do this for the sake of Gilbert.  He’s probably lost, scared, and reeling from this right now.  And a scared Super makes a dangerous Super.  Well, so do angry and upset Supers.  But that’s beside the point.”  Iryna put a hand on her shoulder. “Raivis and I will do a comb through of the area.  Maybe he was found by a kind soul and was taken off the streets.  Ultimately, we just need to find him first, not fast. We also must be careful not to scare him into joining the other side.” 

Erzébet nodded.  “Right.  We just have to find him first. The police have no idea where he’s gone either.”

XXXXX

Gilbert was working on standing up.  He had been asleep for two days, according to Matthew, and according to the girl who let him out, he had to find someone named Erzébet.

“I think she was talking about Elizaveta.”  Matthew said, thoughtful. “Although, you said after they caught her, she changed so dramatically that she hated you, so I don’t know why she would let you go only to send you into the person who would capture you again.”

“I don’t remember much about her, either.” Gilbert added unhelpfully. 

“We know that Gilbert.  You don’t remember much of anything.”  He ruffled his hair, and Gilbert threw him a slightly annoyed look.  He stood, finally, his back cracking.

“Ow.”  He mumbled, rubbing it.

“That’s what you get for sleeping in such an awkward position.” Matthew laughed, and Gilbert grumbled lowly.  “Maybe she changed?  Found out about it somehow?”  Matthew was thinking now.   “Why would she send you to Elizaveta?”

Gilbert shrugged, and walked over to the window, before Matthew pulled him back down to the floor. 

“Oh no you don’t, mister.  I know you’re probably really damn curious about the outside world, but right now, your face is all over the news.  Probably not the best idea.”  Gilbert only stared at him blankly, not really understanding what the news was.   Matthew groaned.  “This is harder than I thought it would be.  How did you put up with me?”

“Probably because you’re nice to me.”  He answered truthfully, and Matthew smiled grimly.

“I could be a right asshole when I was still rebuilding my personality.”  He said, patting Gilbert’s hair, making Gilbert give him a look again.  “But it looks like you’ve retained some of yours, so it probably won’t be a problem for you.”

Matthew got up and Gilbert stayed where he was.  “I’m hungry.”  Gilbert announced, face blank. 

“Right, I’ll get you some food.” Matthew said, and went off to the other room.  Gilbert took his chance to sneak a glance outside.  It was bright, far brighter than it was inside, and Gilbert had to squint. 

No one was there, and so Gilbert let the curtain drop, and sat back down on the floor.  That was boring.  Matthew had made it seem like a big deal. He got up, and stumbled back to the couch, waiting for Matthew to come back in. 

It would be a long day for the both of them.

XXXX

Erzébet gently shook Ludwig awake.  “Hey, get up.  You should eat something.”  Ludwig grumbled about it, but awoke quickly. 

“Did you find Gilbert?” He asked, immediately, to which Erzébet only shook her head, sadly.

“I’m afraid we’ve lost him.  But the police have no idea where he’s gone either, so there is a chance we can find him first.” Erzébet told him, smiling softly. 

Ludwig only tightened his grip on the pillow in his arms. “I want to see him.”  He mumbled. “Can I go to school anymore?”

“I’m sure you’ll be able to, once this all settles down.”  Erzébet said, trying to comfort him, but in reality not knowing what he would do.  School would be a messy affair for the young boy, now that his peers knew his big brother was the White Knight.  But there was little that she could do about that.  They just had to pass legislature that legalized being a Super.  It wasn’t fair, nor was it right to have a person be considered illegal. 

“I dunno.  I think they’re going to make fun of me for being the brother of a Super.” 

“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen, and I’m sure your brother will do everything in his power to keep you happy, even if it means homeschooling you.”

Ludwig frowned again, and looked generally unhappy. “How will he remember me if he gets his memory erased? What will happen then?”  He looked up to her, worried.  “What will happen to us if that happens?”

“I don’t know.” Erzébet mumbled, and pulled him up into a hug.  “I don’t know.”  He nodded despondently. 

“I thought so.  He’s probably already erased, and Roderich left him out on the streets to die.”  He muttered. 

“Then we’ll find him, and we’ll bring him back to you.”  She smiled.  “You know,  I have a secret.”

“What?”  He looked up, a little curious.  “What secret?”

She didn’t know it, but Ivan was eavesdropping.

“Well, I’ve had someone by my side the moment I woke up as a registered Super, once my memory was erased. 

“Who?”  Ludwig put down the pillow, and got closer to her. 

“Well, I didn’t know it, but it was your brother’s memory.  It was my memory of him.”  Erzébet confessed. “I always was told he was a hallucination, but he always just told me what to do when I was in times of need.  So I suppose, strong emotional memories never really fade.” 

Ludwig looked bewildered.  “It was the memory of my brother?  You must have loved him a lot.”

“I did.”  She agreed.  “And I still do.”

XXXXX

Erzébet was on her way in the dead of night to a place she had previously held no intention of going back to.  She had seen it in her dreams- where Roderich had put it to keep it out of her grasp.  However, it was beyond time to get it back.

She was going to get her armor back.

No more of this exercise wear-she was officially going to take up where the White Knight had left off. She would be the Iron Maiden once more. 

Once she was at the tiny house where she had once dreamed of raising a family with Roderich, she noticed that no one was there.  Now that his dream was destroyed, maybe Roderich had no reason to return to the prison he had once held her in as Elizaveta. 

She narrowed her eyes as she noticed that her next door neighbor, Vash, also had his lights out.  He had been part of the plot to capture Gilbert, because they had used Lili to get him to confess to being a Super. 

She took out her house key from beneath the flower pot, and unlocked the door, and went inside.  All the lights were out.  She let out a sigh of relief, and walked inside.  She was watching around carefully, looking for cameras or anything.   But there was nothing set up in the house. Maybe he thought she wouldn’t come back. 

But there was something she still needed- Her armor which he had removed from her unconscious body before she had had her mind erased.  The armor of the Iron Maiden. 

She walked into the room she had been told to never enter, and found something she had never expected.  It was a collection of images of the Iron Maiden, and her armor in a case, hung up like the room was a shrine.  And maybe it was.  The four walls were covered in pictures of her in all her glory, back when she had been Erzébet, before he had captured her.   

Mildly creepy.  This was probably why he had been so desperate to have her.  He had an obsession over something he could never have entirely.  And he had almost won.  But now she was free. 

Elizaveta donned the suit, feeling it slid on easily.  It hung off her.  She used to be far more muscular, apparently.  But now, this was the best that she could do. 

She had to save Gilbert now, just like he saved her from marrying that creep.  She put on the mask, and instantly felt more powerful- like nothing could harm her now that her identity was hidden from view. 

Once she was dressed, she left the house, locking the door, and setting the keys back down.  Now all that was left to do was find Gilbert. 

XXXXX

Gilbert was eating dinner when they came for him.  

They broke in through the windows, and he heard Matthew cry for him to run, but he…he had to protect him!  Gilbert snapped his fingers, making the fire appear once more.  He blasted one of the goons out the window. 

Matthew’s eyes widened.  Gilbert remembered how to use his powers. 

Gilbert tossed another one out the windows they had broken into when he tried to tackle him, using the man’s weight against him as he threw him off him. 

Gilbert grabbed the knife off the kitchen table, and stabbed another goon in his eye; twisting it and making the man scream and go limp in his hold.  He tossed the body aside, and moved onto the next goon.  Matthew was struggling against the one holding him down, and so Gilbert scorched the man with a powerful blast of fire. 

Matthew stood, thanking Gilbert as he shakily wiped the blood off his forehead from where he had been punched. 

Gilbert was one hell of an opponent, until the moment Roderich walked in the front door.  He took one look at the situation around him, pinpointed Matthew, and began to sing.  Gilbert was immune, but…

Matthew’s eyes dulled, and he dropped his knife.  “Get him.”  Roderich scoffed, and the man went invisible. 

“Shit.”  Gilbert said, and did the same.  He switched sides of the room, dropping the knife he was holding so no one could track him. 

He attempted to blast Roderich, but one of the goons just had to be a Super, and protect him with a force field. “There!”  Roderich cried, pointing at where Gilbert was standing.  He felt hands grip his shoulders, and he then elbowed Matthew hard in the sternum, making him let go and fall to the ground, snapping out of it. 

He ran to the table, blasting those in his way with hot fire, and stabbing a few with shards of ice, before he grabbed Matthew’s knife, and tossed it to him. “Matt!  We gotta fight!”

“No, Gilbert, you have to run!”  He said, looking terrified.  “I can hold them off-!” 

“No, Matthew.”  He refused, and turned his skin to ice when they shot at him.  “I’ve been running long enough.” 

He changed back, and Matthew gaped.  “But, you have to find Erzébet!”  He said, turning invisible and stabbing the goon closest to him in the neck. 

“No, I have to protect you!” He said, and snapped a man’s neck with his super strength, kicking his falling body to the side. 

Matthew and him went back to back, being encircled by Roderich’s squad.

“If they want me…”  Gilbert said quietly, preparing to fire icicles, “They can have me.” 

“There’s no way he can fight off the two of us, right?”  Matthew said, trying to reassure himself.

“I believe you are sorely mistaken.”  Roderich said, urging forth another wave of troops for him to fight.

XXXXX

“There’s been an announcement on the news.”  Iryna said, her voice soft as she sat down beside Erzébet.  “Two dangerous Supers have been caught.” 

“I’m going to take a wild stab at it and say it was Gilbert and someone else.”  Erzébet said, her voice soft in return.

“You’d be correct.” Ivan muttered, voice defeated.  “They took a Super that was under my watch. Matthew Williams, 23. Invisible.”

Erzébet nodded.  “And Gilbert too?  Well, know we know where he went, even if it is too late.” 

Ivan huffed at her, violet eyes halfheartedly glaring at her.  “Yes, we do.  I should have checked with him earlier.” 

Erzébet smiled.  “It’s okay.  We storm the police base, and free them.  Even if they’ve already erased their memories, we should be able to do it.  We have a strong arm, a behemoth, and a Witch on our side.  They have maybe a few strong humans, and low level Supers.”  She nodded affirmatively. 

“We can do this!”

Ivan got up, and nodded.  “Let us go then.  We must move quickly.  Toris and the others will watch Ludwig until we get back.”

Erzébet was going to get her previous love back.

XXXXX

By the time they arrived, Roderich was waiting for them out front of the police department. 

“Hello, Roderich.”  Erzebet called to him from atop a building, where she stood in her slightly too big armor.  “We’re here for the one you took from his family.”

Roderich smiled.  “I always thought you looked beautiful when you are mad.” He mused.  “Looks like I left too much of you left after I paused the machine.  You still remembered  _him_ enough to break free.”

“Who said you were going to get me back?”  She hopped down, doing a flip in the air, and landing on her feet, which cracked the asphalt beneath her.  She smiled confidently.

“You’re too late. This is what I had planned for  _him._ ”  Roderich said, and moved aside, revealing the….

The White Knight….? 

 Gilbert didn’t move forward, in fact he only stood there, waiting orders. 

“I couldn’t waste this wonderful resource.  It’s not every day you find a copycat with such a repertoire of moves.”  Roderich said viciously. “He’ll be perfect for tracking down the hidden Supers.”

Erzébet’s eyes were wide.  “What have you done to him?” 

“I made the perfect warrior.  He feels nothing.”  Roderich said, smiling maniacally.  “I don’t know if you can fight the man you love, Erzébet.  You’re free to try though.  Gilbert, attack.” 

Erzébet barely had time to through up her arms as the man slashed his sword at her.  


	7. Malaguena Salerosa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All good things must end, even Super heros.

"Gilbert!"  Erzébet called as she threw up her arm to avoid getting slashed in the middle, and the sword hit her armor.  She grunted with the effort of keeping her arm up there.  Gilbert was a copy cat. He had seen her use her powers, and now had them himself.

"He can't hear you!"  Roderich laughed, shaking his head as Erzébet ran from Gilbert, trying not to hurt him.  "Don't even waste your breath. Just give into me."

"Never!"  Erzébet cried, and continued to jump back as Gilbert went on the offensive.  He snapped his fingers, and a flame appeared in his hands.  From there, he shot a fireball at her, and she had to do a backflip off a building to avoid it.  She was breathing hard, and took out her own sword to meet him as he came down at her. 

He picked up his hand to heat up her sword to make her drop it, and she kicked him away with a rough meeting between his chest and her foot. 

She grunted as he was back on top of her, and she did a barrel roll to get away, put had to quickly throw up her sword and block him again. 

"Dammit!"  She cried as she took off, trying to draw Gilbert away from Roderich.

What was she going to do?

He chased after her, and she was oblivious to his internal struggle. 

XXXXX

The first thing he noticed about her was how pretty her eyes were.  Though they were harsh, and focused, they were the color of the forest.  His dulled mind was able to pick that much up. 

He chased after her as she ran away, following the orders of his Master.

"But he doesn't have to be listened to."  The woman beside him told him, and he had long since figured out this one wasn't real, but of course, his mind couldn't distinguish between the illusion  He tried to attack her, and the real one stopped and stared for a moment.  "Gilbert, you have to listen to me."  She pleaded, and a beautiful woman in lingerie appeared in her place.  Gilbert paused, and tried to think this through. Reason almost, _almost_ shone through, before the real one called out his name.  His head snapped back to her, and he was again focused on the task at hand- apprehending the dangerous Super. 

XXXXX

Erzébet cursed as he snapped his head back her way.  She had obviously interrupted something going on inside his head, and she thought briefly that she shouldn't have.  It was probably something that could have saved Gilbert.  She had to fight him off as he tried to thrust his sword through her, and her gloved hands caught the sword, and waved him around her head, before he tossed him against the building, knocking the wind out of him. 

It was then she heard Ivan's roar, and felt relieved. She had backup.

Iryna came in, her body completely frozen as she worked to ensure Gilbert couldn't get a good look at her, running around him while shooting icicles at him, he narrowly avoided being stabbed by turning invisible and running about around them.  He allowed her to see her again when he was right in her face, and then tried to stab her, though the sword only clanged against her icy body, and she cut him in the face.

Ivan didn't bother not letting Gilbert see him, simply jumping into him as he stumbled back from Iryna's blow to his face, now just barely able to see out of one eye.

"Try not to hurt him!"  Erzébet cried worriedly, and as Gilbert and Ivan fought for control, she noticed Ivan's hands around Gilbert's neck, and his choking sounds.  "Ivan!  Don't kill him!"

He let go apologetically, and Gilbert went staggering around, coughing and spluttering.

Erzébet gave Ivan a bit of a look, and he shrugged with an enigmatic smile.  She huffed, before she tried to restrain Gilbert, hoping they could just get him away from Roderich, and she would get a recording telling Gilbert to stop or something.  They just had to get him, and then she could help him. 

However, he burned the shit out of her, and she screamed in pain as he lit himself on fire, and tried to reorient himself.  She waved her hands around in pain as blood red eyes focused on her again, and he mouthed the word, "Erzébet?" Before that clarity in his eyes was gone.

She knew he was still in there now, still fighting.  Now she had to help him.

XXXXX

Gilbert was stumbling about, and his head ached like a bitch.  What the fuck was going on?  His skin was hot, meaning that he had just used his fire powers.  He looked up, and saw Erzébet looking hot as hell in her armor.  He mouthed her name, before his head was filled with white noise.

He again focused on his prerogative-Subdue the dangerous Super.

XXXXX

She grouped up with a beastly Ivan, and an icy Iryna.  "Eduard is tracking us."  Ivan said cheerfully.  "He's sent Toris down to help with restraints."

"Good, we can't hold onto us or he'll burn us."  Erzébet grunted, and Iryna cooled her burning skin down with a touch to it.

"There."  She smiled, though it looked a little creepy with the ice face, but Erzébet wasn't complaining. 

"Thank you, Iryna."  Erzébet smiled back, before they turned to the Super that was gathering power to strike again.  "We go on the offensive now. Wear him out."   She suggested. 

"That's a good plan."  Ivan said, and started to change, becoming more beastly and going head to head with Gilbert, whose fire wasn't working because Ivan's hide was flame-resistant. 

Iryna jumped into the air gracefully, and started attacking Gilbert from behind.   Erzébet smiled softly, and started to punch Gilbert's sorry ass. She could apologize later. For now they needed to daze and confuse him.

That was before Roderich caught up to them. 

"Gilbert!" He called out.  He knew he was losing now. "Orders to kill given!" 

Something inside Gilbert changed, and he went into overdrive.  It was all they could do to fight him off, and it took all three of them to fight him. 

But then, before Erzébet even noticed what happened, Gilbert's sword was at her throat, and he was standing over her with cold eyes.

"Kill." Roderich said, not wanting to lose face.

Erzébet closed her eyes, and prepared for the worst.

XXXXX

Gilbert was floating in the mist of his remaining self-identity, and he saw, in front of him, a woman that was naked walking towards him. He stood up, and allowed himself to stand.

"You must fight Gilbert."  She told him, and set him free from his imaginary bonds. 

"You don't have to do as he says."

And Gilbert was looking down at the woman, his sword at her throat, though now she was dressed in armor.

"Kill."  The man ordered again.

The woman had her eyes closed as Gilbert made his decision.

"No."

XXXXX

"What did you say?"  Roderich's voice was shaking. 

"I said no."  He removed the sword from the woman's neck, and instead pointed it to Roderich.  "I won't kill her."

Gilbert's red eyes focused, fighting his way out of the fog Roderich had sung his mind into.  He was near immune to Roderich's songs, and this just proved that. 

Roderich shouted and pulled out his gun.  Gilbert's eyes widened, and he jumped back.

XXXXX

Erzébet stood, and pointed her own sword at Roderich.  "You're finished Roderich."  She said, as Ivan came up behind him, and snatched the gun out of his hands.

That was when Roderich's calvary came in, and all 4 Supers were fighting, trying to avoid the inevitable. 

"Stop!"  The head of the police came forward. It was a small Chinese man.  "How could you all act so disgracefully!  Especially you Roderich.  I found your plans to turn a registered Super into your soldier!  How could you ever think of doing that to a civilian?" 

Ivan started to sneak away, and so did Iryna.  The Chinese man allowed them to do so. "And now what do we have here?  The Iron Maiden.  Well, you're already registered."  The man winked at her.  "I wouldn't mind having some help on the streets."

Roderich looked outraged.  "The law says..."

"The law says we register all supers.  It doesn't tell us to do it twice if they remember."  A young, beaten up man walked beside him. "As I found you were trying to do to this young man."

"Now, the White Knight. I still have to actually register you."  He sighed.  "For which I am very sorry.  But it is for your own good.  I also have to register your brother."  He pointed to the police car, where Ludwig was sitting in.

"It shouldn't take too long, and we'll put you back on your feet."

He helped Gilbert, who was now stumbling, to the car. 

"I'm sorry, Miss Hedervary."  The man apologized.  "But we have to do this.  It's the law.  I will ask, that you don't go to him unless he comes to you."  He smiled.  "But change is on the horizon.  I wish you both luck in your lives."

She was left standing alone, now feeling hollow. 

She did the only thing she could.

Regroup with Ivan at base.

XXXXX

Epilogue...

Erzébet had gone home after they determined Gilbert would not be returned to her.  She was already registered, they couldn't take her. 

Ivan and Iryna met her afterwards.  "What's going to happen to him?"  Iryna asked, her voice soft.  Her clothes were torn to hell, and Erzébet sighed. 

"They are going to register him and Ludwig.  They apologized to me, and asked me to avoid him. Unless he comes to me, I'm not to go to him."  She murmured, her heart aching. 

"But he gets to keep Ludwig?"  Ivan put a hand on her shoulder.  She nodded, grief making her unable to speak.  "If nothing else, that's good.  They loved each other."

"And I loved him."  Erzébet muttered.  "But I am not able to help him."  

"Better you're not."  Matthew came in, his head bandaged up. "I remember I was a right asshole when I was regaining myself.  They're just trying to protect you from that.  I don't know how Gilbert dealt with me."

They were all silent, all lost in their grief.  They had all lost what they had, and now only had each other. 

"You know, you two killed the man who killed my brother."  Matthew said.  "Arthur didn't mean to kill him, but it was good you put them back together.  Alfred would have wanted that."

"Gilbert killed my sister, but she had been bitten by a rabid dog.  She was going crazy, but then Gilbert killed her while she was still there enough to remember everything."  Ivan said, and held his elder sister's hand.

"Gilbert saved me from myself."  Erzébet murmured.  "He showed up in my yard one day, and I almost shot him."  She laughed.  "But he slipped up, and made me wonder.  If he hadn't messed up, I would still be with Roderich."

"So, we are all grateful to Gilbert."  Iryna murmured.  "And we'll be waiting for him to come back to us."

XXXXX

It was 5 years later when the Supreme Court overturned the law that had caused Supers so much pain.

While they couldn't un-register the Supers, they could inform them of what had been done to them.

Gilbert was a young man struggling to make ends meet when he got the news that he and his younger brother were Supers. 

He got an address, with the note, "Take care of her."  Was she, whoever she was, the woman in his dreams? 

"We're going on a trip, Lutz."  He said, and the 10 year old nodded, having become far more stoic.  Well, it made sense now why he didn't remember when Ludwig was born, or why their parents died. 

He walked him out to the car he didn't know he had, as he had been given a set of car keys and a note that had where his things were stored.  He was let into the place, and there were memories missing from his mind,and Gilbert was angry.  He couldn't remember those precious moments in the frame, couldn't remember the happy trio that looked like good friends. 

He got into the car, and it felt right.  It smelled like spoilt milk, a reminder that he had had this car when Ludwig had been a baby. 

He keyed the address into the GPS, and nervously started driving, Ludwig sitting in the front seat. 

"I wonder where this place is Lutz, it's only thirty minutes from the house."

XXXXX

Erzébet, Matthew, and Ivan with his friends and family had moved in together, and they owned a house now.  Gilbert apparently didn't remember her, and though she had seen him around, she had never been approached. 

So when an albino man in a suit and glasses appeared at her front door, she was ultimately surprised. 

"O-On the packet they gave me, they gave me this address..."  He murmured, trying not to look at her while still eyeing the beautiful woman.  "Do I know this place?  Where am I exactly?"

Erzébet pulled him into a hug.  "You're home Gilbert.  You're home."

XXXXX

The headline read, IRON MAIDEN AND WHITE KNIGHT ARE NOW MARRIED

The story was a little more sad.  It was about the struggle to find each other in a world that had turned against them.  It was about how they were no longer the original people who had fallen in love. It was the fall of an age, and the rise of a new era. 

The photo was a young man holding an young woman, both smiling happily. 

But ultimately, the story was about how love could conquer even the most vile things.  


End file.
